Bryn Ward-Leikis

After completing two undergraduate courses at the University of Auckland (COMPSCI 361 Machine Learning; COMPSCI 367 Artificial Intelligence) with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, Bryn knew that this was a career path he wanted to follow.

Bryn first heard about the MAI programme in early 2023, and by the time applications were open he was certain it was the perfect opportunity to explore his interests in AI within the university he already knew and felt confident in, and says he “likely would have gone straight into software development in the industry otherwise.”

“I’ve really enjoyed my journey in software development so far, and being able to use it as a creative outlet in my own time has helped me build valuable skills. AI is interesting because it feels like an extension of software and yet it requires a completely different way of thinking. Because of that, it almost feels daunting to learn about AI in my own time, so I decided to pursue a Masters in AI to guide me on this journey and push me out of my learning comfort zone.”

Bryn is currently studying the expansive history of Artificial Intelligence and how it may be used in the future, as well as the techniques and technologies AI encompasses and how to understand, keep up with and contribute to the growing research spaces. He is also focused on solving tasks that would be prohibitively complex for traditional software by narrowing down what is likely to be useful to society and experimenting with different ideas."

“I like how well the core courses of the programme fit together, and the support and passion that the teaching teams have. I went in hoping to have good guidance to build a comprehensive understanding of these topics and to be set up with a strong foundation, which would take a considerable amount of effort to organise if I went down the self-taught route. The programme not only met my expectations, but it has been an enriching experience with the support of the staff and my peers. The core courses themselves felt relevant to each other, and frequently I found myself integrating what I’d been learning from a course to strengthen my coursework for another, helping me reach that broad intuition I wanted.

“A particular example of the MAI programme’s values is the focus on understanding and performing research. I would not expect to be needing research skills to work in software development, but when working with the (current) fast-paced industry of Artificial Intelligence, it becomes an essential skill that the academic environment is perfect for teaching.”

Before starting his Masters, Bryn already had some knowledge about AI’s history and its prevalence in today’s society, even prior to the influx of recent media attention it has received. He has been increasingly motivated to learn more about the inner workings of these techniques (ie, mathematics), and how it is applied across domains like medicine.

“I am still figuring out where in particular I would like to go, but already I am confident I will be able to apply myself in a range of industry domains involving Artificial Intelligence—if not to an extent already. I hope to explore my creative side, whether that’s working on a product that supports peoples’ hobbies (e.g. music, photography) or experimenting with novel ideas and chasing the cutting edge.

“Furthermore, it’s clear that the teaching staff are very passionate about their topics, and can give very valuable feedback and guidance to help us make the most of our time at university. We have a very diverse range of backgrounds in our cohort, and it has been very engaging to work with them in class discussions and group work. I think this would be true even without having been at UoA for my undergraduate studies, as it has been a refreshing beginning to the programme.”