ADMU professor elected president of international AI society

Ateneo professor elected president of international AI society

Manila Standard Business
15 October 2026

Ateneo de Manila University professor Maria Mercedes Rodrigo, who specializes in developing, deploying and measuring the impact of artificial intelligence in Philippine schools, has been elected president of the International Artificial Intelligence in Education (IAIED) Society, a group of more than 1,500 members in 40 countries working across computer science, education and psychology. 

Rodrigo will lead the society from 2027 to 2029. She will bring together experts from institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pennsylvania, University College London and the University of Hong Kong to advance research and development of AI-based learning interventions and environments that support learners, teachers and educational institutions.

She is the first Asian woman to serve as IAIED president, a milestone for Ateneo and the Philippines. Her election expands the country’s presence in the international community.

Rodrigo is a professor in Ateneo’s Department of Information Systems and Computer Science, head of its Laboratory for the Learning Sciences and co-head of the Ateneo Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Lab. She studies AI in education, learning analytics and educational games.

Much of her work examines AI and equity, including how teachers, learners and schools in countries like the Philippines can benefit from AI. 

In a 2024 study with the Second Congressional Commission on Education, Rodrigo and researcher May Marie Talandron-Felipe interviewed 48 Philippine public school teachers. The teachers expressed enthusiasm for AI but cited limited knowledge, insufficient equipment and connectivity problems.

The researchers recommended sustained training, suitable tools and continued human involvement in decisions, practical requirements for making AI useful in classrooms with limited resources.

Rodrigo has been an IAIED member since 2007 and says the community has strongly influenced her work and career. She sees the presidency as a chance to serve the community that has opened many doors for her.