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AI POWERED VEHICLE DETECTION VIA INTELLIGENT VISUAL SYSTEMS. Students present a comprehensive overview  of their research. Photo by Jonathan Cellona/ABS-CBN News

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Inside Ateneo’s ALIVE Lab, machines learn to see for the public good

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern

MANILA — While artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve with increasingly human-like capabilities, it still struggles with complex visual gaps like pattern overlap, occlusion, and localized anomalies. Yet, the Ateneo Laboratory for Intelligent Visual Environments (ALIVE) views these hurdles not as setbacks, but as opportunities to engineer AI tools that drive social welfare and development.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17752090748271775209070775.png" width="960" id="isPasted" class="fr-fic fr-dii" style="width:960px"/>AI POWERED VEHICLE DETECTION VIA INTELLIGENT VISUAL SYSTEMS. Students present a comprehensive overview  of their research. Photo by Jonathan Cellona/ABS-CBN News</div>Department of Information Systems and Computer Science (DISCS) chairperson Dr. Patricia Angela Abu said that these AI innovation models can be programmed not just for academic research, but also for the wider use of many industries and communities.<div>(View Abu’s full lecture at ateneo.edu/breakthroughs)</div>“ALIVE is about building intelligent visual systems that can actually see and also understand the world in ways that directly help people whether it’s detecting disease from medical scans or understanding traffic conditions to track vehicle and pedestrian flow. Our goal is to translate research into proof or concepts and tools that can actually be used” Abu explained.Abu, however, emphasized that these systems do not replace human intelligence or the workforce. Instead, they try to emulate how humans see so they can perform tasks accordingly. Ultimately, human judgment remains integral to the success of these systems.<div>Datasets in Filipino context</div>One of the lab’s breakthroughs came from the realization that global technology often fails when exported to local context. In their traffic detection projects, the team initially used datasets from Germany and China. On paper, the models were accurate; on the Philippines roads, the model failed to detect traffic signs that raised anomalies to the accuracy of the output. “The model could not actually detect some Philippine traffic because they look different from what it was trained on. It&#x27;s tedious work, but necessary,” Abu said. This required the lab to manually annotate and gather data specifically for the Philippine context. This localized intelligence now powers the VPRO Project, which categorizes vehicles based on Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) standards. The lab had to adapt to the unique e-jeep found within the Ateneo campus, proving that for AI to be effective, it must be culturally and environmentally aware.<div>From urban blueprints to health care</div>Through the tutelage of Abu, Atenean student researchers are actively contributing to the furtherance of ALIVE’s mission. The ALIVE Lab has expanded its reach far beyond the streets. What started as a solution for traffic congestion has branched into the specialized field of medicine. The lab’s systems are currently being trained to detect tumors in MRI scans and identify missing teeth in dental radiographs. “This system doesn’t replace our experts; it scales them. They do not replace clinical judgment. We want to ensure early detection to spare people from prohibitive costs” Abu emphasized. Even the field of archeology has sought the lab’s expertise, using visual intelligence to extract and scale the detection of irreplaceable historical materials. <div>The family they built</div>Over the last decade, ALIVE Lab has cultivated far more complex than neural networks. For Dr. Abu, the laboratory is less of a clinical workspace and more of a place for a &quot;new breed&quot; of researchers.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17752091300711775209126779.png" width="960" id="isPasted" class="fr-fic fr-dii" style="width:960px"/>ALIVE RESEARCH LABORATORY TEAM. Atenean student researchers with Dr. Abu. Photo by Jonathan Cellona/ABS-CBN News</div>As ALIVE thrives on the continuity of the lab’s mission, students&#x27; participation is the core of the laboratory. These models are spearheaded by the students themselves.The family dynamic is the engine behind the lab&#x27;s persistence. It is the collective grit of the students that bridges the gap.“It&#x27;s such an honor to our department since we are doing this for our thesis and at the same time doing this for the greater good. It&#x27;s a nice opportunity to contribute to society since as we finish our semester here, we are leaving something of impact to the community,&quot; said Ian Roque Ferol, 22, a fourth-year Computer Science student and researcher of Road Damage Detection Through Cameras.This has allowed student researchers to even venture into a different field, especially for Adrian De Guzman, a fourth-year Computer Science student who took part in the segmenting brain tumors and creating a computer vision to model and outline brain tumors early signs. “We are computer science students. We have no background in the medical field and with helping the medical field in the Philippines. ALIVE gave us the opportunity to do research about the medical field using our expertise in the medical science that can actually be applied to this,” De Guzman said. &quot;There&#x27;s a sense of responsibility because as an Atenean we are privileged to create change in the society. As a graduating student na &#x27;yung research talaga ay grounded sa society, we can actually create an impact as we leave the university.” he added.The harmonious environment in the lab is reflective as the team work in intricate datasets to create systems that are riveted to one and only goal: collective good.<div>Expansion of the cause</div>Operating a lab of this magnitude is a financial and intellectual marathon. For a decade, ALIVE has thrived on internal department support and hard-won grants for GPUs and cloud storage. Now, the lab is opening its doors to both private and government collaborators.In an era where AI is often associated with deepfakes and misinformation, ALIVE stands steadfast for ethical, purpose-driven technology.&quot;We are moving toward developing platforms. We’re still in the learning stage, but our platforms are ready. We have a proof of concept,&quot; Dr. Abu said.<div>Call for collaborators</div>The technology is ready, but the bridge to national implementation requires a collective effort. The ALIVE Lab is now inviting partners from both the public and private sectors to take these &quot;intelligent eyes&quot; out of the laboratory and onto the streets and into the hospitals and hopefully to more fields. The lab has already begun &quot;slow but sure&quot; conversations with entities like the MMDA for Katipunan Avenue and internal collaborations with Ateneo’s Sustainability and Safety offices. However, the vision is much broader.&quot;It’s a bigger scope. Hopefully, we can gradually and slowly contribute by giving good examples that are for the public good. A model only matters if it’s adapted to real decisions.&quot;From urban planners looking to fix traffic flow to healthcare providers aiming to lower diagnostic costs, the lab is opening its doors to collaborators who want to amplify efficiency. By merging ALIVE’s visual intelligence with the expertise of other fields, the lab aims to prove that AI, when grounded in the Philippine context, is a tool to amplify for the common good.

At the Ateneo Laboratory for Intelligent Visual Environments (ALIVE), scientists are working to use artificial challenges for the greater good.

At the Ateneo Laboratory for Intelligent Visual Environments (ALIVE), scientists are working to use artificial challenges for the greater good.

Inside Ateneo’s ALIVE Lab, machines learn to see for the public good

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Inside Ateneo’s ALIVE Lab, machines learn to see for the public good

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern,

Izel Manata

Published April 04, 2026 12:35 AM PHT

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artificial intelligence

AI

Ateneo Laboratory for Intelligent Visual Environments

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