AI YES :International Youth AI Competition

Overview

The International AI Youth Education Society (AIYES) presents its 1st International Youth AI Competition, an initiative designed to empower young creators worldwide in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence. AIYES is a global non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring, educating, and empowering young people to shape an ethical, innovative, and inclusive future through AI. The society collaborates with education experts, universities, AI technology companies, and training institutions globally to promote AI education for youth. This competition is open to elementary, middle, and high school students of all nationalities, races, languages, and cultural backgrounds. Participants are encouraged to work individually or in teams to develop projects that leverage AI to address real-world challenges. Projects can take various forms, including applications, proposals, creative images, or videos, demonstrating the versatility and potential of AI. The competition emphasizes the values of "democracy, diversity, connectivity, and innovation," aiming to unite young people globally and empower them to utilize AI effectively for educational change and innovation. By providing a platform for young creators, AIYES seeks to foster critical thinking, technical skills, and ethical considerations in AI development. The competition is held twice a year, with a Spring session concluding on March 1st and a Fall session concluding on September 1st, offering recurring opportunities for young innovators to showcase their AI-driven solutions.

What to build

Participants must build projects that utilize artificial intelligence to solve real-world problems. Projects can fall into one of four tracks: Track 1 - AI Application Development: Design, build, and deploy practical applications powered by AI, focusing on problem definition, data handling, model selection/integration, development, testing, and user experience. Emphasis is on transforming AI capabilities (e.g., machine learning, computer vision, NLP, generative AI) into functional, user-centric apps. Track 2 - AI Innovation Proposal: Design and present original, forward-thinking proposals that apply AI to solve real-world problems or create novel technological solutions. Proposals should outline a clear problem statement, an innovative AI-driven approach, technical feasibility, potential impact, and ethical considerations. Track 3 - AI Generative Image Storytelling: Use AI tools to design a coherent sequence of images (up to 10) that visually narrate a story from beginning to end, with brief captions or explanations for each frame. Entries are evaluated on narrative clarity, originality, visual coherence, and effective use of generative AI. Track 4 - AI Generative Video Maker: Apply AI tools to produce original videos (3-5 minutes). Leverage AI for tasks such as script generation, image-to-video/text-to-video synthesis, animation, visual effects, voice/music generation, and video editing. Submissions are evaluated on storytelling quality, originality, technical execution, and effective use of generative AI.

Prizes

Key dates

• Spring session deadlineMarch 1, 2026
• Fall session deadlineSeptember 1, 2026 @ 3:00pm EDT

Eligibility

The competition is open to students aged 13 to 18. Participants must form teams of 2 to 5 members. Companies and professional organizations are excluded from participation. Students from all countries and territories are eligible, with standard exceptions applying.

How to enter

1. Form a team of 2 to 5 members.
2. Register for the competition.
3. Develop a project aligned with one of the four competition tracks (AI Application Development, AI Innovation Proposal, AI Generative Image Storytelling, or AI Generative Video Maker).
4. Prepare the required submissions for your chosen track, including presentations, videos, and code/documents.
5. Submit your project by the deadline.

Submission requirements

• **For Track 1 - AI Application Development:** - Slide Presentation outlining the development journey, problem identification, technical solution, innovation, impact, and constraints. - Video Walkthrough & Live Demo (up to 5 minutes) showcasing development process and app functionality. - Source Code repository link or deployed, accessible app link.
• **For Track 2 - AI Innovation Proposal:** - AI Innovation Proposal Document clearly outlining problem statement, AI-driven solution, technical feasibility, potential impact, and ethical considerations. - Slide Presentation covering problem, AI solution, technical approach, and impact/ethics. - Video Presentation (up to 5 minutes) explaining the proposal and walking through a quad-square poster.
• **For Track 3 - AI Generative Image Storytelling Track:** - AI-Generated Image Series (up to 10 images) forming a creative and coherent visual story. - Slide Presentation showcasing the image series in sequence. - Video Walkthrough (up to 5 minutes) explaining the creative concept, AI tools used, and prompts/methods.
• **For Track 4 - AI Generative Video Maker Track:** - Core AI-Generated Video (3-5 minutes) created using AI tools. - Slide Presentation describing concept, storyline, AI tools used, and AI's contribution to the creative process. - Video Walkthrough (up to 5 minutes) explaining the creative concept, AI tools used, and prompts/methods.

Judging criteria

• Problem Definition & Real-World Relevance: Clear problem statement; strong real-world need; defined users and impact.
• AI Technical Design & Model Strategy: Appropriate model selection/integration; architecture clarity; technical depth beyond simple API use.
• User Experience & Design: Intuitive interface; usability; user-centered design thinking.

Resources

• Full Rules