Andrei Baciu, an eleventh-grade student at the "Grigore Moisil" Informatics High School in Iasi, has become the architect of a bridge between centuries: he has created a program that digitally reconstructs damaged works of art, using one of the most advanced tools of today - artificial intelligence. As a result of his innovative project and his achievements in recent years, Andrei Baciu was included in the "100 Youngsters for Romania's Development" campaign, a nationwide campaign of the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania.
Andrei's project, RestART - Interactive AI Artwork Restoration is not just a software application, but a vision of how we can simultaneously conserve, educate and innovate. His program, based on artificial intelligence, preserves the artist's original style and explains at the end the applied intervention, after filling in heavily damaged or missing portions, which humans could not do at this point. Thus, the process is not only technical, but also educational - the user not only receives a result, but understands how it was built.
With the help of a damaged image, a mask indicating the damaged area and metadata about the artist, period and technique, the AI proposes restoration options and the user has the final decision. It is a dialog between human and algorithm, between human creativity and mathematical rigor. Andrei is soon to test the program in partnership with a museum in Romania - a huge step for a student, but a calculated one for a young man who knows where he wants to go. At the same time, he will set up an Artificial Intelligence club to introduce younger classmates to the technology and personal development concepts.
Andrei is one of the 5 students who represented Romania at the prestigious ISEF 2025 competition, where he participated in the "Technology Enhances the Arts" section after dedicating over 1,500 hours of work to his project, starting with the ROSEF national stage. What's impressive? He learned artificial intelligence on his own, from scratch, over the summer - no teachers, no formal courses, just willpower and patience.
"My story is not about diplomas. It's about how I learned to turn a temporary 'no' into a long-term 'maybe I can do it'," says Andrei. And that seems to be the essence of his journey: a positive stubbornness, a kind of smart rebellion against the limitations imposed by age or context.
But Andrei is not just a "brilliant kid" with a revolutionary program. The young man is an active volunteer, constantly taking part in olympiads and competitions and maintaining an annual grade average of over 9.60. Moreover, he is a programmer in the Peppers Robotics Team (FTC), with which he participates in the largest robotics competition for high school students. As part of the team, he has been involved in social impact actions: " Donate a Robot" - donation of robotics kits and training for underprivileged children; "Peppers Christmas Special" - interactive presentations about STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) in middle schools.
The Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania has included Andrei in the campaign "100 Youngsters for Romania's Development", a project that brings to light success stories with real potential to transform society. Andrei is proof that when young people are supported and listened to, they can do more than just follow the path - they can create it. Looking at what Andrei Baciu is doing, we have every reason to believe that our visual heritage is in good hands. Entries for the "100 Youngsters for Romania's Development" campaign can be made on fundatiadanvoiculescu.ro.
