Young innovators use AI and robotics to tackle food security

Student teams from more than 50 countries gathered at the United Nations’ AI for Good Global Summit to design and program robots addressing food-security challenges.

The competition brought together young people aged 10 to 18, using open-source hardware and software to explore how AI and robotics could support agriculture, food production and access to essential resources.

Key facts

• The Robotics for Good Youth Challenge was held in Geneva.
• Teams competed in junior and senior age categories.
• Venezuela won both categories at the global final.
• The competition focused on food security.
• The closing event included representatives from the ITU, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and LEGO.

Our take

Giving young people practical opportunities to develop AI systems helps shift education from simply using technology to understanding how it is designed and controlled. The focus on food security also demonstrates how AI education can be connected to real-world problems. The wider value may be less about the individual robots and more about developing technical, ethical and problem-solving skills among the next generation.

Sources

• AI for Good: Women’s leadership, education and human progress close the 2026 summit (AI for Good)
• AI for Good: Robotics for Good Youth Challenge closing ceremony (AI for Good)