First International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence Aims to Draw Attention to Moral, Ethical Issues, Say Founders
“There are specific moral and ethical issues related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), which we want to draw attention to with this Olympiad”, said on Tuesday Aleksandar Velinov and Elena Marinova, Founders of the First International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence, quoted by the Natural Sciences Olympic Teams Association.
“We want to give exposure to the world’s best students in the field of Artificial Intelligence, share experiences with AI leaders about how they approach their training, and give young people the opportunity to build friendships that will last a lifetime”, said Velinov about the purpose of the competition.
“After the massive breakthrough of ChatGPT in early 2022, in the summer of 2023 businesses were already working feverishly on AI projects. Artificial Intelligence made a big leap and gained an independent position in science, on par with disciplines such as informatics, linguistics, mathematics,” noted Marinova.
The idea to create an Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence started in 2023, when Bulgaria hosted the 20th International Linguistics Olympiad, recalled Velinov. “We decided that it was a natural extension to establish an Artificial Intelligence Olympiad here, as Bulgaria was the first host of the International Olympiad in Informatics in 1989”, he added. Bulgaria participated in the first international Olympiads in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, and with the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence, the tradition will continue, said Velinov.
According to the two specialists, an important motivation for the creation of the competition is the strengthening of Bulgaria’s position as a destination where new technologies are developed at the world level. Students from nearly 40 countries will visit Burgas from August 9 to 15 for the Olympiad, with international scientists from leading universities involved in the organization and compilation of the tasks, as well as Google as the general sponsor.
“In Burgas, we have the financial and logistical support of the Mayor and the entire team of Burgas Municipality. In addition, Burgas and our Black Sea coast are a destination that is definitely worth seeing, and we believe that our guests will fall in love with Bulgaria”, said Velinov.
The Olympiad is under the patronage of the President Rumen Radev. The Olympics are held with the institutional support of the Education and Science Ministry and Burgas Municipality.