Two Filipino software engineers have successfully completed and passed the Artificial Intelligence (AI) course taught by former Stanford professor Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig, the Director of Research at Google.

Tommy Lim Jr. and Jesu Petar Pepe Maglutac were among the top graduates of the free online AI class with an estimated 160,000 students from all over the world. Lim graduated with a grade of 98% and finished at the top 10% of the class, while Maglutac received 87%.

Lim currently works at Orange & Bronze Software Labs (O&B), while Maglutac was part of the internship program for the same company. O&B is a Filipino software development firm specializing in Java and Android programming, and is a known Google Enterprise partner in the Philippines.

A class in Stanford University can cost up to $8,000 (approx. PHP 338,400). Joining the online class at no cost was a no-brainer for Lim and Maglutac. Both signed up immediately when the class was announced on various online forums. There are many interesting technologies that I was interested in looking into but didnt have the time or the right starting points, Lim explains. I felt that the Stanford classes were an opportunity to break the ice, so to speak. The ice definitely got broken.

The course included online lectures and discussions with the professors who offered similar materials, assignments, and exams as the Stanford class. The grading system was also done Stanford-style students were graded on a curve. Attendees received a certificate of completion with their grade at the end of the course.

I decided to enroll because I consider learning, especially topics in my field, to be very enjoyable, says Maglutac. Also, most of the topics covered by all the classes were all topics that I did not have the fortune to learn during my college years. As such, I was motivated to learn these.

Lim is a Senior Software Engineer, Trainer, and Project Manager who has been with O&B for almost 5 years. Previously a professor at the De La Salle, Lim left the university after more than a decade of teaching because he remained unfulfilled. I taught for 11 years, teaching various subjects, and I got tired. Afterwards, I was extremely unhappy working at the family business. I just wanted to be happy and productive. A former O&B employee suggested I apply here.

Maglutac on the other hand, pursued software engineering because he discovered that it was where he excelled. He was part of the O&B internship program in 2009, which is known for its rigid selection process. I have always had a fascination with computer programming and, since during my college days, it had been my forte. I decided to stick with it.

The course description for the online class describes AI as the science of making computer software that reasons about the world around it. Humanoid robots, Google Goggles, self-driving cars, even software that suggests music you might like to hear are all examples of AI. Both professors are respected engineers who are connected with technology behemoth, Google. Sebastian Thrun is a robotics and machine learning specialist who is known for leading the development of Googles self-driving car. Peter Norvig is Director of Research at Google and co-authored an important and popular book on AI, Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach.

The response for the class was overwhelming and opened the duos eyes to democratizing education by making resources more accessible and cost-sensitive. It impacted Thrun tremendously that he resigned from Stanford early this year to launch Udacity, an online education venture that currently offers free computing classes, including Building a Search Engine and Programming a Robotic Car.

Visit link:

Filipino software engineers complete and best thousands on Stanford’s Artificial Intelligence Course