Kazakhstan created all necessary conditions to host IOAI 2026, says Olympiad chair

Speaking at the opening ceremony of IOAI 2026 in Astana, Marinova expressed her gratitude to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the Kazakh Government for their support in organizing the global event.

It is a great honor for us that the Olympiad is being held here in Astana, Kazakhstan, a country that has rapidly emerged as one of the world's most dynamic ecosystems in digital technologies and artificial intelligence, she said.

Marinova noted that IOAI has accredited 131 countries and territories worldwide, with delegations from 108 countries and territories participating in this year's competition in Astana.

She highlighted the event's broad international representation, stating that 71 percent of countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region are accredited in IOAI, with 40 taking part in the Olympiad. In Europe, 80 percent of countries are accredited, and 29 are represented at this year's competition. Out of 40 percent accredited countries from North and South America, 11 of them registered to participate in IOAI 2026. Meanwhile, 72 percent of all African countries and territories are accredited for the IOAI, and 28 are registered for IOAI 2026.

Marinova also thanked President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for supporting the holding of the Olympiad.

Within the framework of his broad vision for advancing artificial intelligence, innovation, digital transformation, and investment in cutting-edge infrastructure, Kazakhstan has created all the necessary conditions to host this Olympiad, she said.

"Today, IOAI and Kazakhstan are demonstrating together that investment in talent, education, and modern digital infrastructure creates opportunities not only for one country but for the global artificial intelligence community."

She also expressed gratitude to the Government of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of AI and Digital Development, the Kazakhstan Federation of Sport Programming, and everyone involved in organizing the competition.

Marinova gave special recognition to the computing capabilities provided by the Alem Cloud supercomputer, describing them as an important contribution to hosting the event.

Addressing the contestants, she encouraged the young participants to recognize their role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence will become one of the defining forces of your generation. It is up to you to decide whether it will divide or unite people, exclude or empower them, merely imitate intelligence or truly serve humanity, she said.

"Make this week truly meaningful. Compete with courage, learn generously, and celebrate one another's achievements, because you are the next generation of global leaders. I continue to say that building bridges is far more important than building barriers - whether between people or between humanity and technology. Welcome to IOAI, for the benefit of humanity and in honor of your teams."

The third International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence is being held in Astana from August 2 to 8, 2026. The competition brings together high school students from around the world to compete in individual and team-based AI challenges.

Earlier, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony and officially inaugurated the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence.