A Filipino computer science student has brought pride to the country after emerging as champion in the AWS AI League, a regional competition organized by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that attracted more than 1,300 participants across Southeast Asia.
According to a report by Philstar.com, Blix Foryasen, a fourth-year computer science student from National University, rose through weeks of eliminations and outperformed his peers in the high-level contest. The tournament tested participants’ ability to build, train, and deploy artificial intelligence (AI) models using tools like Amazon SageMaker JumpStart.
“When I was in Singapore, I felt like I was carrying the hopes of other young Filipino tech talents,” Foryasen said after securing the top spot.
Foryasen’s journey into AI was shaped by determination despite limited resources. Growing up, he did not have access to advanced technology and often spent time in internet cafés, where he first became curious about computers through gaming. That curiosity later grew into a passion for coding and eventually led him to pursue computer science in college.
The AWS AI League was more than just a test of coding—it required clarity of thought, practical application, and awareness of AI’s limitations. One challenge, for instance, highlighted how large language models can still make errors in simple logic tasks. For Foryasen, it reinforced the importance of human oversight in AI development.
“Meron talagang importance ‘yung human oversight in terms of accuracy of our models. We’re already in the age of agentic AI, but human oversight is important,” he explained.
Beyond his individual victory, Foryasen said he wanted his achievement to inspire more opportunities for Filipino students in the tech field. “The PH tech talent we have can compete with other ASEAN countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and possibly also in the global stage when it comes to AI and tech,” he added.
With graduation on the horizon, Foryasen is now preparing for his thesis and considering future opportunities in research, internships, and possibly the global round of the competition at AWS re:Invent. At the same time, he hopes to share his knowledge with younger students and push for responsible and inclusive AI development.
“I advocate for AI. For good and responsible AI,” he said.
