Hi, I'm Matt
I live in Auckland with my wife and two teenage daughters, and have built my career across engineering, technology, education, and governance.
My Story
I didn't set out to work in AI.
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My background is in engineering. I've always been interested in helping organisations solve problems and make better decisions, particularly when there is a lot of uncertainty.
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When Generative AI started gaining attention, I could see it was going to have a significant impact on professional work. I could also see that many organisations were either dismissing it entirely or getting carried away by the hype. People wanted practical answers to simple questions: What can it actually do? Where does it create value? What are the risks? What should we be doing?
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That's what led me to focus my work on AI adoption and governance. Today I design and deliver Engineering New Zealand's Generative AI professional development programme, chair the AI Forum New Zealand's Generative AI Working Group, facilitate the Institute of Directors' AI Governance Essentials programme, and teach applied AI at the University of Auckland.
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What I enjoy most is helping people understand what is changing, what isn't, and what they should do next.
Whether I'm working with a board, executive team, or other professionals, my focus is always on practical advice that people can actually use.
About Me.
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Director, Kia Ora AI
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Member of the Engineering New Zealand’s AI Advisory Committee
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Chair of the AI Forum NZ’s Working Group on Generative AI
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CMInstD, Institute of Directors (NZ) AI subject matter expert (SME) & course facilitator
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Founder of the FranklyAI® startup
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Adjunct Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Design, University of Auckland. ENGGEN 720
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Chair, NZ Barok (New Zealand's national baroque orchestra)
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Trustee, St Andrew's Village
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BE Civil (Hons) 1990
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Alumnus of INSEAD Business School (France), University of Auckland, Massey University.
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TEDx Speaker (2024) - "How AI can shape the future of human connections."
Frequently asked questions
What makes Matt Ensor different from other AI experts in New Zealand?
Plenty of people speak about AI. Not many are asked to design how a whole profession is trained in it. Matt Ensor co-designs the AI governance course for the Institute of Directors (NZ), and he designs and leads Engineering New Zealand's generative AI professional development, so directors and engineers around the country are being taught AI using material he created. His engineering training also shapes how he treats the technology. He checks the output and stays alert to where a tool stops being reliable, rather than trusting an answer because it sounds confident.
An engineer working in AI, what is the connection?
Matt has been working on bringing AI (was NLP now Generative AI) in engineering since 2018. Firstly as part of Beca, then since 2014 as part of Kia Ora AI. Matt asks hard questions of any tool before relying on it. Does it work, how do you know, and who is answerable if it fails? Those are the questions organisations should be asking about generative AI! That background is why his work connects with people like directors, CFOs, CIOs, CPOs, CEOs, and everyone in regulated industries, who cannot accept an output just because it reads well.
What does Matt Ensor believe about AI?
Matt Ensor's view is that unmanaged AI is unmanaged risk, and that the way through is competence rather than fear or hype. He is optimistic about what the technology can do. He is also blunt that using it well takes real work, not just enthusiasm, with no need to panic or rush things. He thinks organisations can thrive with AI provided they have clear governance around it.