Schoolboy Dauzhan Beketov from Kazakhstan took second place at the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad IOAI 2026, which took place in Astana. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of AI and Digital Development of the Republic.
First place went to Artem Gorokhov from Russia, and Shao Zixi from China also made it into the top three. In total, about 500 people from 106 countries competed in the tournament.
For a week, schoolchildren solved practical problems in machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and other AI areas, and also participated in educational, scientific, and cultural programs.
The jury also recognized the winners of special nominations in the Team Challenge. The New Zealand team was awarded for the best robot performance, the Hong Kong team received a prize for creative robot design, and the Brazilian team was awarded for the best application of AI-native approaches in robotics.
Zhaslan Madiyev, Head of the Ministry of AI and Digital Development, stated that an Olympiad of such a high level was held in Kazakhstan for the first time. Dauzhan Beketov honorably represented the country, demonstrating his skills. According to the minister, the authorities are doing everything to develop AI technologies in Kazakhstan. The main goal is for young Kazakhs not only to use them but also to be able to compete with the world's best specialists in AI development.