Ukraine placed third in the team medal standings at ICOA 2026, the world’s first international AI safety olympiad. The Ukrainian team brought home one gold, two bronze and one silver medal, while Ukrainian school student Roman Mielamud finished second in the individual rankings.
The results were announced by representatives of Ajax Systems, one of the partners of the Ukrainian team.
At the olympiad, students worked with AI in three formats: using it to solve problems, identifying vulnerabilities in AI systems, and working with AI integrated into robotic devices.
ICOA 2026 in Sydney brought together 65 participants from 20 countries and regions. In the main competition, Roman Mielamud finished second and won a gold medal. Oleksandr Petrenko placed 21st and Mykyta Sukovach 24th, with both receiving bronze medals.
Mielamud also won a silver medal in the special Pioneer Round, dedicated to AI safety in robotic systems. Fifteen participants qualified for the final stage of this competition.
“Participation in international olympiads is extremely important,” says Oleksandr Konotopskyi, founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ajax Systems. “First, it motivates students to study hard and become the best in Ukraine. Second, competition drives development. Only through international competition can someone grow into a world-class specialist. And third, it helps develop the ‘Ukraine’ brand.”
ICOA is an international olympiad dedicated to cybersecurity and AI, focusing on current challenges in the field. Participants use artificial intelligence models to solve cybersecurity problems and explore vulnerabilities in AI systems used in robotic devices.
