Iranian Students Win Medals at International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad

Students from Iran achieved victory at the third edition of the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad (IOAI 2026), which took place from August 2 to 8 in Astana, Kazakhstan. IOAI is an international scientific AI olympiad for high school students, aimed at inspiring youth worldwide to study science, with a special focus on AI.

The competition serves as a platform for top AI students selected through national contests to exchange ideas and establish contacts. This promotes dialogue among students and the public regarding the possibilities and ethical issues of AI.

According to IRNA, Shayan Rezaeizadeh won the gold medal, Mohammad-Reza Darvishi and Mohammad-Amin Nazmfar received silver medals, and Mani Monjipour was awarded the bronze medal.

This year, over 120 teams participated, comprising more than 500 students from 103 countries and territories worldwide. Each country's participation was limited to two teams of four students, who worked under the guidance of a team leader. The Olympiad tests skills in machine learning, data science, and solving AI problems.

IOAI this year included three main modules. The first was the Individual Contest, where participants independently solved AI and machine learning tasks, demonstrating personal expertise in algorithm development, model training, and data analysis. The second was the Team Challenge, requiring teams to collaborate on complex, multifaceted AI problems that demanded coordination, diverse skills, and a creative approach.

The third module was the Generative AI Talent Expansion Contest (GAITE). This was a simplified version of the Individual Contest. The tasks in GAITE are similar to those in the Individual Contest, but the key difference is that GAITE participants are allowed to request hints. The GAITE contest has a separate leaderboard.

Previously, in 2025, an Iranian team of four high school students won two silver and two bronze medals at IOAI, held from August 2 to 9 in Beijing, China. According to IRIB, Arash Yousefnejad and Ali Shayan won silver medals, while Parsa Golestani and Radin Rahmani-Nodehi won bronze medals.