Bulgarian Talents on the World Stage: National Team for the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence Presented

Bulgaria will be represented at the third edition of the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), which will be held from August 2 to 8, 2026, in Astana, Kazakhstan. The official squad of eight students was announced by the Association of Olympic Teams in Natural Sciences.

One of the key participants in the national team is Mario Petkov, a student at the Professional High School of Electronics and Chemical Technologies "Prof. Asen Zlatarov" in Pleven. Petkov is already a proven competitor in this discipline, having won a bronze medal at the international level in 2025. After completing his secondary education, he will continue his specialization at the prestigious Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi.

The eight selected students will be divided into two teams of four competitors. Among them are representatives from leading schools in Sofia, Haskovo, Sliven, Burgas, and Ruse. The leaders of the national team for the upcoming participation are Melania Berbatova and Alexis Datseris from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".

The International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence is establishing itself as a large-scale event, with a record 103 countries participating in its upcoming edition. This makes it the second largest scientific olympiad in the world by the number of participating territories, highlighting the global importance of technology and the need to prepare new personnel in this field.