## 2024-08-12 12:24:03
Mayor Dimitar Nikolov: This is a historic event!
The world’s first International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence has brought over 300 bright minds from 40 countries across 6 continents to Burgas. The five-day event, hosted by the seaside city, promises to provide answers to pressing questions surrounding the integration of AI into daily life.
Each of the 44 teams will tackle different cases over the competition days. Each team, consisting of four students supported by a leader, has been preparing for the Olympiad since June under the guidance of renowned AI experts. Bulgaria is participating with two teams.
The first competition day, held on August 11 at PPMG “Acad. Nikola Obreshkov” and OU ”Alexander Georgiev Kodjakafaliyata,” focused on machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision.
On August 12, a International Scientific Conference will be held at the Congress Center. Participants will have the opportunity to listen to inspiring lectures and participate in practical sessions on current AI topics. Following the conference, the participants will explore the sights of Burgas.
The practical round of the Olympiad will take place on the 13th. Teams will be tasked with creating a widely understood product using an AI application of their choice. The award ceremony will be held on August 14.
The opening ceremony, held at DT “Adriana Budevska,” was a dazzling affair. Participants and guests walked down a red carpet to the accompaniment of the Burgas brass band. Notable attendees included the Minister of Education and Science, regional governor, mayor of Burgas, and other dignitaries.
The ceremony was graced by a unique stage performance and the participation of singer Maria Ilieva. Each team was introduced individually, and the Olympiad founders and jury members welcomed them from the stage.
“This is the third significant international Olympiad that Bulgaria is the founder of, following the Informatics Olympiad in 1989 and the Linguistics Olympiad in 2003,” said Acting Minister of Education Prof. Galin Tsokov. “I congratulate the creators and wish the participants a successful and enriching experience.”
“Burgas is a city committed to technological development and education,” said Mayor Dimitar Nikolov. “This historic competition is a testament to our focus on knowledge, technology, and progress.”
“Artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving field, and we hope our participants will help us understand its potential and guide its responsible implementation in our lives,” added Alexander Velinov, co-founder of the Olympiad.