Josh Ong Ante becomes first ever ASHS student to present research at Oxford University's Ethics Colloquium

Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS) student Josh Ong Ante (11-Tsuji) successfully presented a co-authored research paper as part of the University of Oxford’s Annual Research Ethics Colloquium at Rewley House, Oxford, United Kingdom. The colloquium (which Ong Ante also attended) focused on the theme “Ethics in Artificial Intelligence.”

The paper, titled “Artificial Defense: Investigating Generative AI Glaze Technology in Protecting Traditional Art,” was co-authored by Ong Ante (lead/principal investigator), along with Lucas Joson, Jam Vejerano, and Matt Marcos—all from 11-Tsuji. Their research adviser was Mx Gabe Eslava, with Mr Christian Galope serving as their class moderator.

The study explored the effectiveness of an original “art glaze” developed by the team to protect artists’ works from unauthorized AI reproduction. The glaze works by disrupting neural network recognition, exploiting the difference between human visual perception and how AI interprets images.

Ong Ante- who is an artist himself- delivered the presentation onsite in Oxford while Joson, Vejerano, and research adviser Eslava participated virtually. Marcos was unable to attend.

Organized by the University of Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education, the colloquium was held on 13 June 2025, bringing together postgraduate students, academics, higher education administrators, and scholars from around the world. According to organizers, the quality of submissions was “very high,” with only a limited number accepted through a rigorous double-blind peer review process. The ASHS team was notably the only high school group invited to present, with all other participants being at the postgraduate level.

The team qualified for a live poster presentation and oral defense on 12 June 2025—an impressive feat. Their session was chaired by Dr Sarah Frodsham, Co-Director of the Graduate School and Chair of Ethics for the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Oxford. She described the ASHS research as “fantastic,” noting that their abstract was among the best received from hundreds of submissions. The reviewers, unaware of the team's high school status due to the blind evaluation process, nearly selected the paper for a full presentation.

During the panel session, Ong Ante discussed the ethical implications, research overview, and analysis; Vejerano presented the study’s results; and Joson explained the methodology. A panel of three PhD-level experts—including two Co-Directors from Oxford’s Graduate School of Continuing Education and one from another postgraduate department—offered high praise for the research and the team’s articulate presentation. With this, Josh Ong Ante becomes the first ASHS student to present a paper in a live poster session at this prestigious Oxford event. 

Reflecting on the experience, Ong Ante shares, “I am extremely grateful to have had this incredible opportunity to represent Ateneo de Manila and the Philippines on such a prestigious stage. It is a dream come true.”