IRCAI - Unesco International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence

We are honoured to share that today, at its 224th session on 16 April 2026, the UNESCO Executive Board adopted the decision to extend the Category 2 Centre status of the International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI).🎉🌍

This important milestone reaffirms IRCAI’s role as a global hub for advancing ethical and responsible artificial intelligence in support of the Sustainable Development Goals, and highlights the value of international cooperation and knowledge sharing. 🤝📚🌱

We sincerely thank all partners, supporters, and the broader community who have contributed to this achievement. 🙏✨

Lors de sa 224e session, le 16 avril 2026, le Conseil exécutif de l’UNESCO a adopté une décision prolongeant le statut de centre de catégorie 2 pour IZUM et l’IRCAI.

Izvršilni odbor UNESCO je na svojem 224. zasedanju 16. 4. 2026 sprejel sklep o podaljšanju statusa centra 2. kategorije za IZUM in IRCAI.



Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Association France-Slovénie Parlons slovène Inalco Paris Institut français de Slovénie

🌍🧏‍♀️ Kenyan startup Ishara AI is helping people with hearing loss bridge communication gaps, access healthcare and education services.

In Kenya, over 3 million people are Deaf or have hearing disabilities, yet hospitals, schools and digital platforms are built almost entirely for hearing users. Ishara’s AI-enabled platform translates in real time between Kenyan Sign Language, text and speech, helping people to:

🏥 Improve communication between Deaf patients and medical workers through healthcare-focused translation datasets
📚 Access education services and digital skills through a built-in learning platform
📱 Use the platform on smartphones for everyday communication and low-bandwith environments
🤝 Co-create the technology at every stage with Ishara's team to ensure linguistic accuracy and cultural integrity.

Recognized as an Outstanding project in the IRCAI Top 100 2025, Ishara is already deployed and commercially active in Kenya, with ambitions to scale across Africa, reaching approximately 34 million people with hearing loss. 🚀

Find out more:
🔗 https://ircai.org/top-100-outstanding-projects-2025-ishara/

Top 100 Outstanding Projects 2025: Ishara | IRCAI With breakthroughs in AI, we have an opportunity to significantly improve the lives of people with disabilities and create more inclusive societies. Among the most promising and socially impactful applications of AI are assistive technologies, which enhance communication, learning and social partici...

🏙️🌱 Canadian AI technology CityRover is transforming how cities manage their roads and infrastructure, making them more sustainable.

Through AI-enabled smart cameras mounted on vehicles already operating in cities, CityRover continuously monitors road conditions, automatically identifying potholes, cracks, debris, and damaged assets as municipal vehicles drive their daily routes.

🛣️ Governments digitize thousands of kilometers of roads without additional staff or dedicated vehicles.
📊 Intuitive maps and reports give city teams real-time visibility across their entire network.
♻️ Proactive, data-driven maintenance reduces waste, vehicle mileage and carbon emissions.

Recognized as an Outstanding project in the IRCAI Top 100 2025, CityRover is now deployed in 550+ cities across 20+ countries, supporting better infrastructure services for more than 38 million residents.

With the use of AI, CityRover is helping governments transition from reactive to proactive urban management: cutting waste, reducing emissions and building more resilient communities.

Find out more on:
📌 https://ircai.org/top-100-outstanding-projects-2025-cityrover/

Top 100 Outstanding Projects 2025: CityRover | IRCAI Cities bear the responsibility for maintaining vast networks of roads and large infrastructure networks, yet the systems they rely on to do so are often inefficient, costly and resource intensive. Cityrover, a Canadian AI-enabled technology improves operational efficiency and reduces environmental i...

📢 Join us at the GITEX Asia and GITEX Africa next week, from April 7-10!

IRCAI, in partnership with AI in Africa and GITEX, is organizing a rich programme on the AI stages at both events, bringing together global experts and innovators to shape the future of responsible AI. We will feature the Challenge final AI solutions for SDG3: Good Health and Well-Being and showcase the best applicants from Asia and Africa. 🏆

Don’t miss the following events:

GITEX Asia, Singapore 🇸🇬

🗓 Panel: 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚
9.4.2026 | 17:00-18:00 (SST) | AI4Social Good Stage
As governments across Asia race to harness AI for societal impact, how can governments, startups, academia, and civil society collaborate to ensure AI systems deliver measurable outcomes for public good? What role should cross-border cooperation play in shaping responsible AI standards for Asia’s diverse economies? 🌏

🗓 Panel: 𝐀𝐈 & 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
10.4.2026 | 11:00-11:45 (SST) | AI4Social Good Stage
As Singapore prepares to host the IOAI 2027, the focus on AI education has shifted from basic literacy to high-performance talent development. This panel explores the "Singapore Model", a multi-layered approach that integrates AI as a pedagogical tool and a core competency. 🎓

🗓 Showcase: 𝐀𝐈4𝐒𝐃𝐆 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 (𝐒𝐃𝐆 3) - 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
10.4.2026 | 11:45-12:30 (SST) | AI4Social Good Stage
The AI4SDG Challenge 2026 engages startups, researchers, and students under 35 to explore how AI can transform public health, mental health, healthy ageing, and active lifestyles. In this session, 5 finalists of the challenge will pitch their solutions. 🏃

GITEX Africa, Marrakech 🇲🇦

🗓Showcase: 𝐀𝐈4𝐒𝐃𝐆 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 (𝐒𝐃𝐆 3) - 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
9.4.2026 | 14:30-15:20 | AIEverything Stage

🗓Showcase: 𝐈𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐈 𝐓𝐨𝐩 100
9.4.2026 | 15:20-15:40 | AIEverything Stage
The IRCAI Top 100 is a global AI & SDG index recognizing world's most promising AI solutions for the SDGs. Meet the African innovators making the list! 💡

AI In Africa GITEX Global Manus AI Asia-Europe Foundation - ASEF

Strengthening EU–LAC cooperation on artificial intelligence 🌍🤝

Last week, IRCAI and TAIEX co-organized a two-day online AI workshop for public administrations for the EU-LAC Digital Alliance member countries, welcoming 280 participants.

The workshop built on ongoing policy dialogues and previous EU-LAC meetings in Montevideo, Santiago de Chile and São Paulo, focusing on two priorities:
- AI Factories and AI infrastructure ecosystems 🏭
- AI and Education 🎓

Key themes included data sovereignty, sustainability, digital literacy, and aligning governance frameworks to make AI trustworthy and inclusive.

Participants also called for a Community of Practice, a shared EU-LAC network for educators, researchers, and policymakers to exchange knowledge and co-create solutions together.💡

Thank you to all participants and partners. We’re looking forward to the activities that follow next! 🙏

Mihajela črnko Monika Kropej European Commission European External Action Service - EEAS Veronika Stabej Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs IE Business School

Join us online on Tuesday, March 31, for the EU-LAC dialogue on AI cooperation 🌐🤝

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐄𝐔–𝐋𝐀𝐂 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐈
📅 31 March 2026
🕒 15:00 PM CET
💻 Online workshop

As AI governance rapidly evolves, how can regions and countries collaborate to ensure that innovation in AI remains legally compliant, ethical, trustworthy, and inclusive?

This online session will bring together policymakers, regulators, and experts from Europe and Latin America & the Caribbean to exchange practical experiences and explore joint approaches to AI development, from regulatory sandboxes to scalable innovation frameworks.

🔍 The workshop will provide:
• Insights into the implementation of the EU AI Act
• Real-world experiences with AI regulatory sandboxes
• Perspectives from EU and LAC policymakers and experts
• Discussion on building a shared AI experimentation space
• Slovenia’s role in bridging regions for human-centric AI

The event is co-organized by IRCAI, Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ministrstvo za digitalno preobrazbo. It takes place within the Slovenian MFEA international conference LAC Days 2026 and is supported by the EU-LAC Digital Alliance.

📝 Register here:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/6VLlajtzRqaNPZZGTwgSbQ

🏆 IAIO 2026 winners are announced! 🏆

After an incredible week of competition, collaboration and innovation, we are delighted to announce the winners of the International Winter AI Olympiad 2026!

🥇 Top 3 Gold Medal Winners:
Anango Prabhat, Great Britain
Bryan Zhu, Canada
Muyang Hou, China

🥇 Gold Medalists:
Dale Liu, USA
Jianxu Chen, China
Xingzhi Lu, Great Britain
Kseniia Strelbytska, Ukraine
Dawid Kot, Poland
Victor Coen, New Zealand

Additionally, awards were given to:
🥈 15 Silver Medalists
🥉 24 Bronze Medalists
🎖️ 14 students with Honorable Mention

Congratulations to all medalists for your incredible achievements! And to every contestant who competed at – you've shown the world that the future of AI combines technical excellence with ethics and responsibility.

Beyond the medals, you’ve created lasting connections across borders and continents. Keep them with you on your AI journey!

A heartfelt thank you also to:
👏 All team leaders who mentored and supported these brilliant students
👏 IAIO Organizing & Scientific Committees for tireless work
👏 Our sponsors & partners: Amazon Web Services, OptimalAI, Telekom Slovenije, C&G d.o.o., ACM Slovenia, Zindi, Center Noordung, Turizem Ljubljana, Europcar, Cuttle, Recosi, Edgetech, ZOTKS, Knowledge 4 All, Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, RAIDO
👏 IRCAI team members and everyone who made possible.

The future of AI is in capable hands. See you at the in Vietnam! 🇻🇳

Stay in touch for complete results, official photos and videos.

is officially open and the competition is underway! 💻❄️

95 talented high-school students (14-19 years) from 24 countries, winners of national AI competitions, have today begun competing at the International Winter AI Olympiad (IAIO) 2026. 🌍

During the Scientific Round, contestants are tackling theoretical challenges that test their deep knowledge of machine learning, algorithms, data processing and the ethical dimensions of AI. 🧠 ⌨️

The competition follows an enthusiastic Opening Ceremony, where speakers shared some inspiring messages:

🎙️ “To all contestants, you are not only testing your skills this week, you are helping define the standards of the next generation. Welcome to Slovenia, and may this Olympiad inspire excellence, integrity and bold ideas for the future," said Veronika Stabej, Ambassador at the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

🎙️ “You have the opportunity to use AI's potential to solve significant global challenges. While technical and mathematical excellence is vital, it must always be placed in the broader context of what these systems are meant to achieve and what the impact of those systems might be,” said John Shawe-Taylor, IAIO's president and IRCAI's director.

We wish all the contestants to have an excellent competition and best of luck solving the challenges! ✨

Davor Orlic Monika Kropej Mihajela črnko Anja Polajnar Spela Sitar Mulej Ana Fabjan Martina Vilhar Mitja Jermol Senja Požar Brodnik Institut "Jožef Stefan" Cizelj Telekom Slovenije



Photo credits VideoLectures.NET

Only 3 days until ! 🎉

On Monday, 102 young AI minds from 26 countries will compete in the International Winter AI Olympiad, a unique global event that aims to support the next generation of responsible AI creators.

📅 February 23-27, 2026
📍 Ljubljana, Slovenia
🌐 www.iaio-official.org

Yesterday, IRCAI met with high-level representatives from Costa Rica, strengthening international partnerships in AI. 🌎 🤝

Mitja Jermol and Mihajela črnko, met with Andre - Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, alongside Marta Sauma Uribe, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations in Vienna and Ambassador-designate to Austria, and Veronika Stabej at the Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve RS / Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Ljubljana during the Minister’s official visit. 💼

The discussions focused on IRCAI’s international engagement and potential avenues for future collaboration in artificial intelligence and sustainable development. We're looking forward to the follow-up activities, explored in the coming months.💡📝