Romania has a new generation of young people who not only use artificial intelligence, but are also learning to build it and understand its underlying mechanisms. Alexandru Thury-Burileanu, a student at the “Mircea cel Bătrân” National College in Constanța, is one of them. At the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad held in Astana, Kazakhstan, he won a gold medal, ranked 19th globally, and became the highest-ranking Romanian competitor.

This achievement is all the more significant given that the Olympiad brought together over 400 students from more than 100 countries, and for Alexandru, it marked his first time participating in an international competition of such magnitude. Romania concluded the event with eight medals—three gold, two silver, and three bronze. For the student from Constanța, however, the experience in Astana meant more than just a ranking; it was the validation of years of hard work and a passion that began long before artificial intelligence became one of the most discussed topics worldwide.

“The moment I stepped onto the stage to receive the gold medal as the top-ranked Romanian competitor was extraordinary. Being among the best students in the world is an honor and an experience that is hard to put into words—and proof that the hard work, the nights spent preparing, and the passion I’ve held since childhood truly paid off,” says Alexandru.

He conducted his first experiments at the age of 11. Inspired by videos he watched online, he tried to create programs capable of teaching themselves to play video games. At the time, it was simply the curiosity of a child fascinated by technology. In the eleventh grade—a time when artificial intelligence was advancing at a spectacular pace—Alexandru rediscovered his passion. The difference was that he now possessed the knowledge needed to turn that childhood curiosity into high-level achievement. And the results went beyond the international gold medal. His track record includes a bronze medal in the informatics category at the 2025 Zhautykov International Olympiad, a silver medal at the 2026 National Artificial Intelligence Olympiad, as well as silver medals and honorable mentions at the National Informatics Olympiad in 2024, 2025, and 2026. At the AcadNet National Olympiad, he won a gold medal and second prize in both 2025 and 2026, and this year, he is a member of the elite national squads for artificial intelligence, informatics, and AcadNet.

Although he has chosen a field centered on artificial intelligence and is convinced that this technology will radically change the future, Alexandru also views the evolution of AI from a critical perspective. For him, the real challenge lies not merely in how high-performing these systems will become, but in how people choose to use them.

“We must be careful about how we control and use it. Not necessarily out of fear that it will control us, but because relying solely on tools like ChatGPT risks causing us to lose our ability to think for ourselves. AI should help us think better, not do the thinking for us,” the young man says.

Alexandru’s next goal is admission to a university abroad—specifically in the United States, the UK, or the Netherlands—as he seeks an academic environment that offers the best possible training in computer science and artificial intelligence.

However, his plan does not end with leaving Romania. After university, Alexandru intends to return home and apply the experience and knowledge he has gained. He believes Romania is home to extremely talented young people and holds significant potential in the technology sector—potential that can be turned into tangible results given the right education, infrastructure, and people willing to build.

“I would like to contribute to the development of artificial intelligence in the country and help other passionate young people go as far as possible, just as I was supported along my own journey.”

For now, Alexandru Thury-Burileanu returns from his first major international competition with gold, a 19th-place global ranking, and a performance that places him among the young Romanians to watch in a field destined to decisively shape the coming decades.