Astana Brings Together Young AI Talent from 106 Countries

Astana Hosts IOAI 2026

From 2 to 8 August, Kazakhstan’s capital is hosting the third International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence, IOAI 2026. One of the world’s largest international AI competitions has brought together more than 500 talented school students from 106 countries.

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attended the opening ceremony. During the event, the President was introduced to the competition format and challenges, observed an autonomous robot demonstration and wished the participants success.

From AI Models to Autonomous Robots

IOAI 2026 brings together students with a strong interest in programming, machine learning, data analysis and robotics. Competitors will develop artificial intelligence models and program autonomous robots, demonstrating their technical expertise and their ability to apply it to practical challenges.

The Olympiad programme includes competition rounds, educational sessions and meetings with international experts. This format allows participants to exchange knowledge, present their own approaches to developing AI solutions and build professional connections with peers from different countries.

International Exchange and Discovering Astana

Alongside the competition, participants will take part in a cultural programme and explore modern Astana. They will experience the capital as a city where digital services, technology entrepreneurship and innovation infrastructure continue to grow.

Hosting IOAI 2026 strengthens Astana’s position as an international hub for science, technology and education. The Olympiad provides a platform for knowledge exchange and brings together a new generation of developers, researchers and engineers who will help shape the future of artificial intelligence.

Follow the highlights of IOAI 2026 and other news from the capital on Astana.kz.

Speakers at the opening ceremony

The opening ceremony featured speeches by Kai-Fu Lee, Elena Marinova, Bagdat Mussin, Mikhail Lomtadze and Timur Turlov.