The following eight students represented the U.S. to participate in the 2nd edition of International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), held during August 2–9, 2025 in Beijing, China.
- Mahith Gottipati, Rising senior, Dulles High School Math and Science Academy, Sugar Land, TX
- Sophia Hou, Rising senior, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, VA
- Sanghyeon (Robert) Joo, Rising senior, Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH
- Pranav Sambhu, Rising senior, Fulton Science Academy, Alpharetta, GA
- Derek Sha, Rising junior, Sage Hill School, Newport Coast, CA
- Lily Shi, Rising senior, The Harker School, San Jose, CA
- William Wang, Rising senior, Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA
- Bryan Zhu, Rising senior, Bellevue High School, Bellevue, WA
More than 300 students from six continents and more than 60 countries participated in the Olympiad. The number of contestants and participating countries in IOAI’s 2nd edition this year has doubled compared to its 1st edition in 2024. Its size is comparable to other International Science Olympiads (such as IPhO, IChO, IBO, IOI) with its growth in only one year.
2025 IOAI introduced a significant change from its inaugural edition in 2024. Whereas the 2024 IOAI featured two rounds of team-based competitions, with medals and awards presented to teams, the 2025 edition adopted a two-round individual contest format. This transition was implemented to strengthen the Olympiad’s international reputation, enhance its recognition, and more accurately reflect the abilities of each participant. Rankings and medal categories were determined by contestants’ total scores across the two rounds.
Team USA received 3 Silver Medals, 3 Bronze Medals and 1 Honorable Mention.
The Silver Medal winners are:
- Pranav Sambhu
- Lily Shi
- William Wang
The Bronze Medal winners are:
- Mahith Gottipati
- Sanghyeon (Robert) Joo
- Bryan Zhu
The Honorable Mention winner is:
- Sophia Hou
USAAIO adopted the following procedure to select Team USA for the 2025 IOAI.
- Round 1 competition.
Round 1 was open to all K-12 students studying in the U.S. and all U.S. citizens and permanent residents (green card holders) studying outside of the U.S.
It was held on March 24, 2025. All contestants were required to take the contest and be proctored at their schools, local universities, libraries or certified test centers.
Three levels of awards were presented to top scorers: Distinguished Honor Roll, High honor Roll, and Honor
- Round 2 competition.
USAAIO invited top scorers in Round 1 to participate in Round 2.
This round was held on April 27, 2025 at MIT. All contestants took the contest in the same classroom and were proctored by MIT and USAAIO staff and volunteers.
On the contest day, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI) organized a panel discussion on doing cutting-edge research in AI and MIT Admissions delivered an info session on the study, life and admissions at MIT. These events were open to both contestants and parents.
Four levels of awards were presented to top scorers: USAAIO Camp, Gold, Silver, Bronze.
- Round 3 (camp) competition.
USAAIO invited the top 12 contestants in Round 2 to participate in Round 3 (camp).
This round was held online during June 09-13, 2025.
In this round, contestants were given 6 lectures. They solved 4 at-home tasks and did 3 team selection tests.
After this round, 8 contestants were finally selected to represent the U.S. for the 2025 IOAI.
- Round 4 training for Team USA members.
After Team USA members were selected and prior to their trips to the 2025 IOAI, the USAAIO coaching team provided the team with additional training, such as inspiring and guiding them on solving 2025 IOAI at-home problems.
USAAIO is grateful to the following institutions/organizations/corporations for their generous support.
- Universities
- Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI)
- MIT Admissions
- Temple University, Fox School of Business
- Corporations
Future IOAI
- The 2026 IOAI will be hosted during August 02-08 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
- The 2027 IOAI will be hosted in Singapore.
2026 USAAIO competition
The 2026 USAAIO will follow a similar structure as the 2025 one.
Round 1 will be held on January 30, 2026. Round 2 will be held in March or April.
The registration for Round 1 is open now and will be closed on January 26, 2026.
About USAAIO
USAAIO is dedicated to
- Organizing K-12 AI Olympiad contests.
- Selecting, training, and sending Team USA for the international level Olympiads in AI, such as IOAI and IAIO.
- Encouraging and educating K-12 students to gain knowledge of AI and develop skills in using and improving AI.
