Neil Lawrence

{{Primary sources section|date=February 2024}}{{short description|British computer scientist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Neil Lawrence | birth_name = Neil David Lawrence | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | citizenship = | fields = Machine learning<br />Gaussian processes<ref name=gs>{{Google scholar id}}</ref> | workplaces = {{Plainlist| * University of Manchester * University of Sheffield * University of Cambridge * Alan Turing Institute * Microsoft Research * Amazon Research }} | alma_mater = {{Plainlist| * University of Southampton (BEng) * University of Cambridge (PhD)}} | thesis_title = Variational Inference in Probabilistic Models | thesis_url = https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.621104 | thesis_year = 2000 | doctoral_advisor = Christopher Bishop | website = {{Official URL}} }}

'''Neil David Lawrence''' is the DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge in the Department of Computer Science and Technology,<ref name=cambridgeappt>{{cite web|title=Cambridge appoints first DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning|url=https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/cambridge-appoints-first-deepmind-professor-of-machine-learning|date=18 September 2019|publisher=University of Cambridge|website=cam.ac.uk}}</ref> Chief Scientist at [https://trent.ai Trent AI], senior AI fellow at the Alan Turing Institute and visiting professor at the University of Sheffield.<ref name=scopus>{{Scopus id}}</ref>

== Education == Lawrence obtained a Bachelors in Engineering degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Southampton, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge, with a thesis on variational inference in probabilistic models, supervised by Christopher Bishop.<ref name=phd>{{cite thesis|url=http://thelawrences.net/neil/thesis.pdf|degree=PhD|publisher=University of Cambridge|title=Variational Inference in Probabilistic Models|first=Neil David|last=Lawrence|date=2000|id={{EThOS|uk.bl.ethos.621104}}|website=thelawrences.net|oclc=894596569|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030418233723/http://thelawrences.net/neil/thesis.pdf|archive-date=2003-04-18}} {{free access}}</ref>

==Career and research== Lawrence spent a year at Microsoft Research before serving as a senior lecturer in machine learning and computational biology at the University of Sheffield for six years. From 2007 to 2010, Lawrence was research fellow at the University of Manchester's Department of Computer Science, returning to the University of Sheffield in 2010 as the collaborative chair of neuro and computer science.<ref name=shef_siid>{{cite web| publisher=University of Sheffield| title=Prof. Neil Lawrence| date=15 August 2022|url=http://siid.group.shef.ac.uk/team/prof-neil-lawrence/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612211537/http://siid.group.shef.ac.uk/team/prof-neil-lawrence/|archive-date=2017-06-12|website=shef.ac.uk}}</ref>

In 2016, he was appointed director of machine learning at Amazon in Cambridge, where he collaborated with {{ill|Ralf Herbrich|qid=Q58840936}}, who became director of machine learning at Amazon in Berlin.<ref name=amzn_appt>{{cite web|author=Monica Nickelsburg |title=Amazon beefs up machine learning presence in UK with new team of researchers|publisher=GeekWire|date=2 September 2016|url=https://www.geekwire.com/2016/amazon-beefs-machine-learning-presence-uk-new-team-researchers/}}</ref>

Upon his appointment as the inaugural DeepMind Professor Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge in September 2019, Ann Copestake stated Lawrence's addition would have a "transformative effect".<ref name=bw_appt>{{cite web|author=Tony Quested |publisher=Business Weekly|title=Amazon ML ace spearheads historic DeepMind Cambridge venture|date=18 September 2019|url=https://www.businessweekly.co.uk/news/academia-research/amazon-ml-ace-spearheads-historic-deepmind-cambridge-venture}}</ref>

Lawrence co-founded [https://trent.ai Trent AI] in 2025 with a mission to reimagine security and safety of systems in the AI age. He serves as its Chief Scientist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Griffiths |first=Sarah |date=10 January 2026 |title=Solving Security Problems With AI And Experience |url=https://trent.ai/blog/solving-security-problems-ai-experience/ |url-status=live |access-date=11 February 2026}}</ref>

=== Ambassadorship === Lawrence has advocated for data transparency and privacy, writing several prominent articles in ''The Guardian'' discussing issues ranging from the privacy implications of Machine Learning algorithms deployed on citizens,<ref name=graun_olig>{{cite web|author=Neil Lawrence |title=Beware the rise of the Digital Oligarchy|date=5 March 2015|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/mar/05/digital-oligarchy-algorithms-personal-data|work=The Guardian}} </ref><ref name=graun_magna>{{cite web|author=Neil Lawrence |title=Let's learn the rules of the digital road before talking about a web Magna Carta|date=2 April 2015|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/apr/02/rules-digital-technology-internet-bill-rights|website=theguardian.com|publisher=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Neil Lawrence |title=How to prevent creeping artificial intelligence from becoming creepy|date=12 June 2015|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/jun/12/artificial-intelligence-ai-human-computer|work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name=graun_marketers>{{cite web|author=Neil Lawrence |title=The data-driven economy will help marketers exploit us|date=23 July 2015|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/jul/23/data-driven-economy-marketing|work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref> {{cite web|author=Neil Lawrence |title=The information barons threaten our privacy and our autonomy|date=16 November 2015|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/nov/16/information-barons-threaten-autonomy-privacy-online|work=The Guardian}}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=September 2020}} the current "state of the art" in the field,<ref name=graun_aigo>{{cite web|author=Neil Lawrence |title=Google AI versus the GO Grandmaster--who is the real winner?|date=28 January 2016|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2016/jan/28/google-ai-go-grandmaster-real-winner-deepmind|work=The Guardian}}</ref> the importance of data-sharing<ref name=graun_goognhs>{{cite web|author=Neil Lawrence |title=Google's NHS deal does not bode well for the future of data-sharing|date=5 May 2016|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2016/may/05/google-deepmind-patient-data-privacy-data-sharing|work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name=graun_datatrusts>{{cite web|author=Neil Lawrence |title=Data trusts could allay our privacy fears|date=3 June 2016|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2016/jun/03/data-trusts-privacy-fears-feudalism-democracy|work=The Guardian}}</ref> and academic transparency,<ref name=graun_natureai>{{cite web|author=Neil Lawrence |title=Why thousands of AI researchers are boycotting the new Nature journal|date=29 May 2018|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2018/may/29/why-thousands-of-ai-researchers-are-boycotting-the-new-nature-journal|work=The Guardian}}</ref> to the possibilities for Machine Learning to advance developing nations such as African nations.<ref name=graun_africa>{{cite web|author=Neil Lawrence |title=How Africa can benefit from the Data Revolution|date=25 August 2015|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/aug/25/africa-benefit-data-science-information|work=The Guardian}}</ref> These efforts have been called "commendable" by Demis Hassabis.<ref>{{cite news|author=Oscar Williams |newspaper=New Statesman|title=Amazon ML Chief departs to take up DeepMind professorship at Cambridge|date=19 September 2019|url=https://tech.newstatesman.com/business/neil-lawrence-amazon-deepmind-cambridge}}</ref>

He was solicited for his opinion on the absence of Machine Learning algorithms during the COVID-19 pandemic, to which he stated {{blockquote| "This is showing what bulls—t most AI hype is. It's great and it will be useful one day but it's not surprising in a pandemic that we fall back on tried and tested techniques."<ref name=cnbc_mlbs>{{cite web|author=Sam Shead |title=A.I. can't solve this: The coronavirus could be highlighting just how overhyped the industry is|date=29 April 2020| url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/29/ai-has-limited-role-coronavirus-pandemic.html|publisher=CNBC}}</ref>}}

Lawrence has hosted a podcast with Katherine Gorman called ''Talking Machines'' between 2014 and 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetalkingmachines.com|title=Talking Machines}}</ref>

In 2025 he was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 programme ''The Life Scientific''.<ref name="Lawrence">{{cite web|title=Taking down the 'digital oligarchy' and why we shouldn't fear AI |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002c36v}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Neil}} Category:Living people Category:British computer scientists Category:British engineers Category:Members of the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Fellows of Queens' College, Cambridge