Iridescent Announces Finalists of Debut AI World Championship

More than 200 families from 11 countries, including Bolivia, Palestine, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, entered projects into the World Championship in two divisions: Junior (11 years-old or younger) and Senior (12-16 years-old). Judges from around the world reviewed the submissions based on four criteria: ideation, project development, pitch, and overall impression. Finalists will receive an all expenses paid trip to San Francisco, California, May 16-19 to share their invention ideas with a panel of judges and participate in a week of programming with other finalist families. Final results will be announced on May 18 after the finalists present their projects in Santa Clara, CA.

The finalists are:

Junior Division:

• The Rana Family, Palestine: “My Drawings Speak Up” uses image recognition technology to analyze children’s drawings and notify an adult when a child is facing bullying
• The Vega-Hidalgo Family, Bolivia: “Duckweed Vacuum Cleaner” uses a camera to collect data for its image recognition algorithm aimed at detecting and vacuuming duckweed from Lake Titicaca
• The Mayet Family, Pakistan: “Cavity Crusher” whose algorithm uses AI to monitor a child’s brush time and determine their oral health habits to notify parents accordingly

Senior Division:

• Team De La Paz, United States: “Shoo” emits a high-pitched noise when it detects dogs or other animals in a specified area, and deters them from staying and defecating
• The Pifive Team, Spain: “Scoutbot Water Guardian” is a wearable device that determines if a swimmer is at risk; if so, it alerts an adult on their mobile device.
• The Innovators Team, Uzbekistan: “Spiky! Bullying Detector” uses AI to analyze a child’s communication patterns to determine if they are being bullied, and inform an adult accordingly

The AI Family Challenge partners with leading experts in AI, including those from Google.org, NVIDIA, GM, and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. The program aims to bridge the AI knowledge and confidence gap for children and adults around the world, so they can not only be prepared for tomorrow’s workforce, but also feel empowered to apply technology to the real-world issues they see in their communities. The holistic, community-based model involves parents and caregivers so that families share the journey of becoming confident problem-solvers and lifelong learners together. After participating in the AI Family Challenge, of parents surveyed, more than 91% of parents believed their child developed a sustained interest and burgeoning proficiency in AI. Of those same parents, more than 90% also believed they know the prerequisites for their child to pursue either an AI or STEM career after participating in the program.

“These finalists are a great representation of the talent, critical thought and problem-solving skills that the AI Family Challenge works to cultivate,” said Tara Chklovski, founder and CEO of Iridescent. “Our aim is to inspire everyone to look at their world — and their own capabilities — in a new way, and the AI World Championship is proof that with the right tools and training, anyone can learn the skills needed to make an impact in their communities.”

The AI Family Challenge begins its second season in August. Learn more about this year’s finalists, the AI Family Challenge, or sign-up for season two here.