By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The World Bank Group has
opened applications for its Small AI for Development Hackathon Challenge,
inviting young innovators aged 18 to 35 from more than 150 countries to develop
practical artificial intelligence solutions for challenges in health, agriculture
and tourism.
The hackathon is scheduled
for October 3 and 4, 2026, and will focus on building “small AI” solutions
designed to work in real-world environments with limited connectivity, local
data and familiar technologies such as SMS and voice.
The initiative is being
organised by the World Bank Group’s Digital and AI Vice Presidency in
partnership with the World Bank Group Youth Summit, the Development Economics
Vice Presidency and Information and Technology Solutions. Hack-Nation is
serving as the competition partner responsible for the hackathon platform and
programme delivery.
The challenge comes amid
continued gaps in global digital access, with more than two billion people
still offline, while an estimated 1.2 billion young people in the Global South
are expected to reach working age over the next decade amid insufficient employment
opportunities.
The World Bank Group said
artificial intelligence could help address these challenges, but stressed that
solutions need to be designed around the technological realities and needs of
underserved communities.
Participants will have one
weekend to develop their AI solutions, with the competition focused on
practical applications capable of functioning in environments where high-speed
internet, advanced infrastructure and extensive computing resources may not be
readily available.
The three winning teams will
be invited to travel to Seoul to present their solutions at the Global AI and
Digital Summit in October 2026.
The hackathon forms part of
broader efforts to encourage young innovators to develop accessible technology
solutions that can contribute to inclusive digital and economic development.
Applications for the
challenge are currently open, with eligible innovators encouraged to submit
their proposals through the designated World Bank Group and Hack-Nation
application channels.
