The 3rd International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence Opens in Astana, Kazakhstan

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10/08/2026

The 3rd International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence Opens in Astana, Kazakhstan

The 3rd International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) takes place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 2 to 8 August 2026, bringing together delegations from 105 countries and territories. Just two years after its inaugural edition in Bulgaria, IOAI has grown into the world’s fastest-growing international science Olympiad and the second largest after the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

Founded in Burgas, Bulgaria, in 2024, IOAI was created to give secondary school students an international stage to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in artificial intelligence. Since then, the Olympiad has expanded from 32 founding countries and territories to a global community of 131 accredited members.

This year’s Olympiad welcomes 105 countries and territories, with 40 delegations receiving Financial Aid, demonstrating IOAI’s commitment to ensuring that talented students can participate regardless of financial circumstances.

Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony of IOAI 2026 marked the official start of the third International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence. Held in Astana, the ceremony brought together contestants, team leaders, educators, government representatives and partners from around the world.

The participation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, reflected the country’s strong support for AI education and for the Olympiad. Addressing the international IOAI community, President Tokayev spoke about the role of education, international cooperation and innovation in preparing the next generation of AI researchers and engineers. He noted that artificial intelligence has the potential to contribute to fields such as healthcare, education and environmental protection, and expressed confidence that the Olympiad would strengthen the global community of young AI talent.

President Tokayev also recognised the contribution of teachers, mentors, organisers and volunteers whose work makes the Olympiad possible. His participation highlighted the growing international profile of IOAI and the collaborative effort of the Kazakhstan Competitive Programming Federation (CPFED), the Local Organising Committee, academic partners and the global IOAI community in delivering the third edition of the Olympiad.

Global Growth

IOAI continues to grow across all regions of the world. .

The African community now includes 39 accredited countries and territories, with 30 participating in IOAI 2026, following the successful launch of the first African Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (AOAI) hosted by Tunisia earlier this year.

The Asia-Pacific community has grown to 45 accredited countries and territories, with 38 participating in Astana, following the inaugural Asia-Pacific Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (APOAI) hosted by China

Europe now includes 33 accredited countries and territories, with 26 participating in IOAI 2026. The first European Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence of the IOAI family is scheduled to take place in Serbia in 2027.

The Americas are represented by 14 accredited countries and territories, with 11 delegations participating this year.

Beyond the Olympiad

IOAI is more than an annual competition. Throughout the year, the Olympiad develops programmes and initiatives that support AI education, expand access to the competition and strengthen the international AI community.

Current initiatives include:

- GAITE (Global AI Talent Empowerment Programme), supporting countries with limited experience in science Olympiads as they build and develop national AI competitions.

- The Financial Aid Programme, helping delegations participate regardless of their financial resources.

- Support for National Olympiads, developed in cooperation with EduSpace Brazil to help countries organise national AI Olympiads and engage more students in artificial intelligence.

- IOAI² – AI Models Track, providing an international benchmark for evaluating AI models on Olympiad-level machine learning tasks.

- The IOAI Alumni Network, connecting former contestants and encouraging continued collaboration within the global AI community.

- The IOAI Open Education Hub, offering freely accessible Olympiad tasks and educational resources for students, teachers and organisers worldwide.

Competition

IOAI 2026 features three competition formats designed to assess different aspects of artificial intelligence, from individual problem-solving to teamwork and the performance of advanced AI systems.

- Individual Contest

The Individual Contest evaluates competitors across the core areas of artificial intelligence, including machine learning, computer vision and natural language processing.

Before arriving in Astana, contestants complete an online practice stage with three training tasks to become familiar with the competition environment. The official contest consists of two six-hour rounds, held on 4 and 6 August, during which students solve Olympiad-level AI problems developed by leading researchers and reviewed by the IOAI International Scientific Committee. Under the competition rules, participants may use a preconfigured large language model as a support tool.

- Team Challenge

Supported by Galbot, the Team Challenge focuses on collaborative problem solving. This year’s theme, The Future of Retail, combines simulation with real-world robotics.

Teams first develop and test their solutions in a simulated retail environment. The ten best teams then advance to the final round, where they deploy their solutions on embodied robots and demonstrate how their systems perform in a real-world setting. The challenge encourages participants to combine algorithm design, programming and teamwork while solving practical AI tasks.

- IOAI² – AI Models Track

Alongside the student competition, IOAI² – the AI Models Track – provides a benchmark for evaluating advanced AI systems on Olympiad-level machine learning tasks.

The track brings together research laboratories and technology companies, whose AI models solve the same problems as the student contestants under a dedicated evaluation framework. By comparing the performance of AI systems and young human competitors, the initiative contributes to research, education and the broader discussion on the future of artificial intelligence.

Beyond the Competition

The International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence is more than a week of competition. Throughout the programme, contestants, team leaders and observers take part in academic, technological and cultural activities designed to encourage learning, international collaboration and the responsible development of artificial intelligence.

Participants will visit the International Center of AI at Alem.ai to explore Kazakhstan’s growing AI ecosystem and learn more about the country’s vision for AI. In cooperation with UNESCO, the programme also includes a lecture on AI ethics, highlighting the importance of developing artificial intelligence in a responsible and human-centred way.

Beyond the academic programme, the Olympiad offers a wide range of opportunities for networking and cultural exchange. Community meetings bring together representatives from around the world to share ideas and best practices, while visits to ComicCon 2026, traditional Kazakh cultural activities, sports tournaments and sponsor events provide participants with opportunities to connect beyond the competition.

International Recognition

IOAI 2026 is held under the patronage of UNESCO for the second consecutive year, reflecting the organisation’s continued support for international cooperation in AI education.

This year’s Olympiad also marks the beginning of a collaboration with the laureates of the UNESCO–Uzbekistan Beruniy Prize on Ethics in Artificial Intelligence, further strengthening the connection between AI education and the responsible development of artificial intelligence.

Awards

The Bulgarian Award for Outstanding Contribution to IOAI, presented under the Patronage of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, will be awarded for the second consecutive year.

Established by the founders of IOAI, the award recognises individuals whose work has made an outstanding contribution to the development and international growth of the Olympiad.

Visual Identity

Logo

The visual identity of IOAI 2026 reflects the connection between Kazakhstan’s cultural heritage and the future of artificial intelligence. At the centre of the official logo is the qoshqarmuiz (“ram’s horn”), one of the best-known traditional ornaments of the Great Steppe. Reimagined through pixelation, the symbol represents the meeting of tradition and technology, reflecting the spirit of both Kazakhstan and the Olympiad.

Medal

The official medal follows the same concept. The front features the IOAI emblem together with the inscription 3rd International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence – Astana 2026 and traditional Kazakh ornamentation. The reverse highlights the host nation and the Kazakhstan Competitive Programming Federation (CPFED), with the Alem.ai Sphere at its centre as a symbol of Kazakhstan’s growing role in artificial intelligence and innovation.

Looking Ahead

IOAI 2026 brings together contestants, educators, researchers and industry partners from around the world for a week of competition, learning and international collaboration.

The Organising Committee looks forward to welcoming the global AI community to Astana for the third edition of the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence.

Hosts and Partners

IOAI 2026 is hosted in Kazakhstan with the support of the Government of Kazakhstan, CPFED, the Local Organising Committee, the Host Scientific Committee, volunteers and numerous institutional and industry partners.

Hosted by Kazakhstan Competitive Programming Federation (CPFED) – https://cpfed.kz/

With the support the

Academic Partners:

- Kazakhstan National Sport University

- Alem.ai

- Astana Hub

Government Support

The the Government of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Akimat of the city of Astana

Under the Patronage of UNESCO

Diamond Global Sponsors