IOAI 2026 Concludes in Astana, Kazakhstan

10/08/2026

IOAI 2026 Concludes in Astana, Kazakhstan

Astana, Kazakhstan, 8 August 2026 — the last day of the third International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) in Astana, Kazakhstan, bringing to a close a week of competition, educational activities and international exchange.

The 2026 edition brought together delegations from 108 countries and territories, making IOAI the second largest olympiad in Scientific after IMO and marking another major step in the rapid international growth of the Olympiad.

The Closing Ceremony recognised the outstanding achievements of students throughout the competition and concluded with the official handover of the IOAI flag from Kazakhstan to Singapore, host of the fourth International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence in 2027.

A Growing Global Community

Established in Bulgaria in 2024, IOAI has grown from 32 participating countries and territories at its first edition to a global community of more than 130 accredited countries and territories in just three years.

Following the inaugural Olympiad in Burgas, Bulgaria, IOAI 2025 in Beijing welcomed teams from 61 countries. In 2026, more than 100 countries and territories took part in the third edition in Astana.

IOAI 2026 welcomed:

108 participating countries and territories
466 contestants
126 team leaders
100 observers

IOAI gave 42 delegation financial support to make international AI education and Olympiad participation accessible to students from a wider range of countries and regions. Over the past two years, more than 60 countries have received financial support to participate in IOAI.

Competition Week

At the centre of IOAI 2026 was the Individual Contest, where students worked on tasks designed to test their knowledge, technical skills and ability to apply artificial intelligence methods in practice.

Across two competition days, contestants worked on six tasks covering different areas of artificial intelligence, including Machine Learning, Computer Vision, NLP and multimodal processing.

The academic programme was developed by the IOAI International Scientific Committee and Host Scientific Committee, bringing together researchers, academics and AI professionals from around the world.

IOAI 2026 also continued GAITE — Global AI Talent Empowerment, an initiative designed to assist countries and territories with limited International Science Olympiad (ISO) history as they work towards joining and participating in the IOAI community on an equal footing.

The Olympiad also included a Team Challenge, developed in cooperation with Galbot, in which students worked together on AI solutions for humanoid robots. The challenge brought the competition closer to a real-world AI environment, combining artificial intelligence, robotics, teamwork and practical problem-solving.

For the first time, IOAI also introduced IOAI²: AI Model Track, putting leading AI models to the test on the same Olympiad tasks as the human contestants.

Beyond the Competition

IOAI is designed not only as an international competition, but also as a meeting point for students, educators, researchers and the wider AI community.

Throughout the week in Astana, participants took part in a programme combining technology, education, international exchange and cultural activities.

Technology and Education

The programme included visits and activities at Alem.ai, Kazakhstan’s international centre for artificial intelligence, which brings together education, research, technology companies and startups in a shared AI ecosystem, as well as sessions with IOAI’s academic and technology partners.

Under the patronage of UNESCO, IOAI 2026 also included activities dedicated to the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence and cooperation with the laureates of the UNESCO–Uzbekistan Beruniy Prize.

Participants, team leaders and representatives of the international IOAI community also took part in meetings and discussions focused on AI education, the development of national and regional Olympiads of the IOAI family, and opportunities for greater international cooperation.

Cultural Programme

Alongside the academic programme, participants had the opportunity to experience Kazakhstan and learn more about its culture and traditions through “Kazakh National Day”.

The programme also created opportunities for students from different countries to meet outside the competition environment, exchange ideas and build connections with peers from around the world.

Awards

The Closing Ceremony recognized the strongest performances of IOAI 2026.

In the Individual Contest, Artem Gorokhov of Russia ranked first overall, followed by Dauzhan Beketov of Kazakhstan in second place and Shao Zixi of China in third place.

A total of:

37 Gold Medals
73 Silver Medals
110 Bronze Medals
62 Honourable Mentions

were awarded in the Individual Contest.

The ceremony also recognized the strongest participants in GAITE — Global AI Talent Empowerment, an IOAI initiative designed to assist countries and territories with limited International Science Olympiad (ISO) history as they work towards joining and participating in the IOAI community on an equal footing.

The top three participants in the 2026 GAITE ranking were:

Kadanga Essognim Elisee — Togo
Solevo Essaie Henoc Winner — Togo
Elizabeth Kaylin Chiou — Puerto Rico

Bulgarian Award for Outstanding Contribution to IOAI

The Bulgarian Award for Outstanding Contribution to IOAI, under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, was presented to:

The Republic of Kazakhstan, for its outstanding contribution to the development of the international IOAI movement.
AOAI, IOAI’s Regional Olympiad in Africa, recognizing the Republic of Tunisia as host of the first African Olympiad in AI, together with the first African Board, the first African Scientific Committee and the entire African IOAI community for their vision, leadership and dedication.
APOAI, IOAI’s Regional Olympiad in Asia-Pacific, recognizing the People’s Republic of China as host of the first Asia-Pacific Olympiad in AI, together with the first Asia-Pacific Board, the first Asia-Pacific Scientific Committee and the entire Asia-Pacific IOAI community for their organization, vision and dedication.

Closing Ceremony

The Closing Ceremony brought together contestants, team leaders, organizers, partners and official guests to mark the end of the third edition of IOAI.

Elena Marinova, IOAI co-founder and Chair of the Board, reflected on the development of the Olympiad and the international community that has grown around it.

The participants were also addressed by Mr. Zhaslan Khassenovich Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Mr. Ivan Vassilev, Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation of the Republic of Bulgaria, who highlighted the importance of supporting young talent and international cooperation in artificial intelligence.

“We leave Kazakhstan with deeper friendships, new connections across borders, and renewed confidence in the future of this remarkable global movement.”
— Elena Marinova, IOAI co-founder and Chair of the Board

The ceremony also recognized the organizations and individuals whose work contributed to the delivery of IOAI 2026 in Kazakhstan.

Looking Ahead: Singapore 2027

The Closing Ceremony concluded with the official handover of the IOAI flag from Kazakhstan to the representatives of Singapore, which will host the fourth International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence in 2027.

The handover continues an international journey that began in Burgas, Bulgaria, in 2024, continued to Beijing, China, in 2025, and Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2026, before moving to Singapore in 2027.

Looking ahead to 2027, IOAI expects its global community to continue growing, with more countries and territories joining the Olympiad and becoming part of its international network.

IOAI 2026 at a Glance

Participating countries and territories: 108
Accredited countries and territories: 131
Contestants: 466
Teams: 126
Delegations receiving financial support: 42
Volunteers: 200+
Competition:
- Individual Contest tasks: 2 rounds, 3 tasks per round
- GAITE — Global AI Talent Empowerment
- Team Challenge
- IOAI²: AI Model Track

Hosts and Partners

IOAI 2026 was made possible through the work of the IOAI International Board, International Scientific Committee and International Jury, together with its global sponsors and partners and the organisations supporting the 2026 host edition in Kazakhstan.