Pavel Durov to award prizes to AI Olympiad winners in Astana

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, announced that the messenger service will provide prizes to the winners of the International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) 2026 held in Astana, Kazakhstan. The total prize pool from Telegram is valued at over $106,500.

Durov shared his excitement on Telegram, noting the success of the Russian team, which secured first place in the team standings. He also congratulated Artem Gorokhov from his hometown for winning the individual competition. Durov also acknowledged Kazakhstan as the host country, highlighting the second-place individual finish by Dauzhan Beketov.

The IOAI 2026, which took place from August 2 to 8, brought together approximately 500 students, mentors, and jury members from 106 countries. This event marked a significant milestone as it was the first time such a high-level competition was held in Central Asia. Durov confirmed that Telegram is coordinating with the organizers to ensure the safe delivery of prizes to the winners next month.

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The Russian team took first place in the team event, and Artem Gorokhov from my hometown won the individual competition. Well done! I am also glad for the host country Kazakhstan, whose representative Dauzhan Beketov took second place in the individual standings. We are in contact with the organizers to safely hand over the prizes from Telegram to the winners next month...