Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) will host the first international edition of the International AI Olympiad (IAIO) from September 8 to 12, with participation expected from around 25 countries.

The event is being organized in collaboration with the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) and the International Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) in Slovenia, under the auspices of UNESCO.

SDAIA aims to establish the Olympiad as a premier platform for AI competitions, nurturing talent and fostering skill development among participants.

The IAIO will serve as a forum for scientists and AI enthusiasts worldwide to exchange ideas, enhance capabilities, and explore the latest advancements in the field.

SDAIA envisions the Olympiad as a catalyst for global expansion, encouraging young men and women worldwide to engage in AI-related activities.

The initiative aims to cultivate a new generation with a profound understanding of transformative technologies that have become integral to daily life and business systems.

In preparation for the Olympiad, SDAIA conducted a series of virtual lectures on AI through the Olympiad's website. These sessions were designed to qualify international teams for the competition and empower students globally to deepen their knowledge in this critical field.

The five-week lecture series covered a range of topics, including an Introduction to AI, the Social Impact of AI (ethics, fairness), Kernel Methods, Working with Data, Deployed Deep Generative Models, Supervised Learning, AI-Search, Learning Evaluation, Reinforcement Learning, and Unsupervised Learning.

Each participating country will field a team of up to four students who will compete individually over two days during the third edition of the Global AI Summit. The first day will focus on scientific questions, while the second day will involve solving scientific problems using AI technologies on a specially designed platform.

IAIO aligns with SDAIA’s commitment to enhancing the Kingdom's global standing as a leading force in data and AI. It also contributes to achieving the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by raising awareness of advanced technologies and equipping communities with the knowledge and skills necessary to master them.