School codes: Russian technology companies are betting on AI Olympiads

This year, the Russian team won six gold, one silver and one bronze medals at the International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) among High School students, which was held in China from August 2 to 8. This result is the best in terms of the number of gold awards among all participating countries. Russia is taking a serious step towards the development of artificial intelligence Olympiads, experts say. In their opinion, this is a key tool for early selection and training of specialists who will determine the future of technology. About why school competitions are important to technology giants — in the Izvestia article.

AI Olympiad in China

— It was scary and exciting for me, but after a long preparation and a selection course for our national team, it became much easier. The Olympics are just the beginning of my journey. I think it's important to develop artificial intelligence among schoolchildren," Matvey Belyaev, a graduate of the International Linguistic School in Vladivostok, told Izvestia.

He started programming in the eighth grade, when he enrolled at Yandex Lyceum in Vladivostok. Then he participated in regional Olympiad programs and training camps. Now he has won a gold medal in the individual competition at the International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) among high school students.

The final of the International AI Olympiad took place over two days and consisted of a team and individual rounds. In the team round, the Russian team entered the top 10 teams and won silver medals. The students programmed robots, solved non—standard tasks in teams and individually, applying knowledge from various fields - from computer vision and machine learning to natural language processing.

— Our country has a strong physics and mathematics school and advanced developments in the field of AI. Russian schoolchildren who have won six gold, one silver and one bronze medals in a fair competition are worthy followers of these traditions," said Dmitry Chernysheko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

Artificial intelligence is one of the most promising areas of modern science, and the achievements of our students strengthen Russia's technological leadership, said Sergey Kravtsov, Minister of Education, after summing up the results of the competition.

Medals at the International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence were awarded to the prize-winners of the All-Russian AI Olympiad, the international AI Challenge competition and other prestigious Russian and international Olympiads and competitions in the field of AI.

The team was prepared by representatives of the Central University and the Alliance in the Field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) together with the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT).

— This year we trained not only the guys from Russia, but also the national teams of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, which also showed excellent results. We have strengthened our training thanks to the already successful experience and expertise of our partners from the Alliance in the field of AI and MIPT, for which we are very grateful and appreciate everyone's contribution," said Stanislav Bliznyuk, President of the T—Technologies group.

Olympiads and the future of technology

The Russian national team participated in the Olympics for the second time. According to the rector of the Central University, Evgeny Ivashkevich, last year, at the first International AI Olympiad in Bulgaria, the guys won by a wide margin from the strongest competitors from 39 countries.

"This year, the Olympiad itself has become more mature — the number of participating countries has grown from 39 to 61, and we have approached the preparation even more consciously - a team of leading experts from the Central University has developed an individual training program, and also strengthened its expertise with the resources of our partners, the Alliance in the field of Artificial Intelligence and MIPT,— emphasized Him.

Olympiads in artificial intelligence and computer science are not just a way to enter a university or compete for a diploma. This is an entrance ticket to the community of the strongest schoolchildren and future engineers, researchers and entrepreneurs who are able to determine the technological agenda of the country and the world, Alexey Maleev, director of the Higher School of Software Engineering at MIPT, told Izvestia.

— We have been working with the Olympiad movement for many years and we see that for teenagers, participation in such competitions is not only about knowledge, but also about the formation of thinking: the ability to solve non—standard tasks, work in a team, and take responsibility for the result. This is a real engineering school, with practice, feedback and high standards," said the scientist.

According to him, within the framework of federal projects, scientific organizations are aimed at developing and strengthening artificial intelligence among schoolchildren. Alexey Maleev called the implementation of the "Code of the Future" program, including on the basis of MIPT, one of such steps. State-funded enrollment is now open for students in grades 8-11 in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

This year, a new profile has appeared in the All—Russian Olympiad of Schoolchildren in Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence. And in the list of the Russian Council of School Olympiads (RSOS) There are already Olympiads, including those specialized in AI. This creates a clear vertical: from the first interest to serious preparation and participation in the international technological agenda, Alexey Maleev noted.

— Technology companies are already involved in the development of assignments, offering cases based on real industry challenges. Olympiads are becoming a platform where students not only solve educational problems, but also try themselves as engineers and analysts whose ideas can find practical application. In fact, it is an early selection and growth tool for those who will determine the future of technology," he said.

The Olympiad movement is of fundamental importance for the national personnel training system, as it determines training priorities and provides a strong incentive for students and schoolchildren to study mathematics, physics, and programming in depth, said Sergey Mishurov, Professor of the Department of Engineering Cybernetics at NUST MISIS.

— Olympiad students are able to master university programs at the highest level, they do not need to explain the solution method, they aim to find it on their own. At the MISIS in applied Mathematics, most of the students (state employees) are winners and prize-winners of Olympiads. This allows us to build a training program so that many of them receive invitations to work in leading companies during their senior years and already solve difficult tasks for employers as part of their graduation work," he stressed.

In 2025, the International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence was held with the support of UNESCO . In the final, the Russian national team met with 300 talented schoolchildren from 61 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Hungary, China, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, the USA, Sweden, and Japan.