An Insider's Guide to WAICY (Part 1): Inside One of the World's Largest AI Competitions

When I tell people I was a finalist in WAICY, the response is usually: "What's WAICY?"

Fair question. Despite being one of the world's largest AI competitions with over 31,000 students from 80+ countries participating, WAICY (World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth) flies under the radar for a lot of high schoolers in the U.S.

But here's what you should know: WAICY is one of the most accessible, impactful, and legitimately impressive competitions you can do in high school if you're interested in AI.

It's free. It's global. It welcomes beginners. And if you make it to finals (which typically fewer than 40 students do each year), you've accomplished something genuinely rare.

I competed in WAICY 2023 as a sophomore, became a finalist in the AI Showcase track (the main, most competitive track), and placed 4th in the AI-Generated Art track. The experience taught me more about AI, project development, and competing on a global stage than any class or textbook ever could.

This is Part 1 of a 4-part series where I'm breaking down everything I learned: what WAICY actually is, how to choose the right track, strategies to stand out, and lessons from competing against other participants.

Summary

This article introduces WAICY (World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth), one of the world's largest AI competitions. I explain what makes WAICY unique and cover the competition's structure, the scale and prestige, and why it matters for your college applications and AI learning journey. As someone who competed as a sophomore and became a finalist, I share why WAICY deserves to be on your radar if you're interested in AI, even if you're just starting out.

What Is WAICY?

WAICY (World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth) is a global AI competition where students ages 6-18 build projects using artificial intelligence to solve real-world problems.

Founded in 2018 by ReadyAI, the competition has grown exponentially. The mission? Get young people involved in the conversation about AI—not just as consumers, but as creators, problem-solvers, and critical thinkers about the technology shaping our future.

The Format (When I Competed in 2023)

WAICY had three competition tracks:

1. AI Showcase Track - Build an AI project that solves a real-world problem (the main, most competitive track)

2. AI-Generated Art Track - Use text-to-image AI models (DALL-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion) to create art based on an annual theme

3. AI Large Language Models Track - Use LLMs like ChatGPT to demonstrate AI's capabilities in a specific domain

Note: WAICY has since added an AI-Generated Video track in later years, but in 2023, there were just these three.

The competition is hybrid: you can compete virtually (what I did) or attend in-person events at locations like Penn State.

The Timeline

Here's how it works:

1. Project Development (varies, but typically a few weeks to months)

• Choose your track

• Build your project

• Document everything

2. Submission (deadline usually late November)

• Submit your project online

• Includes presentation materials, videos, and documentation

3. Initial Review (early December)

• Judges review all submissions

• Finalists are selected (fewer than 40 across all tracks and age groups)

4. Finals Presentation (early December, typically December 2-3)

• Finalists present live to judges (virtual or in-person)

• 3-minute presentation + 3-minute demo + 4-minute Q&A

• If you're NOT a finalist, you don't present—only finalists get the live judging experience

5. Winners Announced (a few days after finals)

• Gold, Silver, Bronze awards per track and age category (elementary, middle school, high school)

• Special recognition awards (AI Excellence, Impact Excellence, Design Excellence)

Why WAICY Matters

1. It's Genuinely Impressive (But Underrated)

Making WAICY finals is rare. In 2023, with 17,000+ participants, fewer than 40 became finalists. And of those finalists, only a handful were high schoolers.

Yet WAICY doesn't have the name recognition of competitions like ISEF or Regeneron. This is actually an advantage: you can accomplish something genuinely difficult without facing the same level of hyper-competitive applicant pools.

Colleges understand what "WAICY Finalist" means when they see it, especially if you're applying to CS or AI-related programs. It's an internationally recognized competition with objective standards.

2. It's Incredibly Accessible

Here's what makes WAICY special compared to other major competitions:

• It's free. No registration fees, no costs to enter. This alone sets it apart from many prestigious competitions.

• No prerequisites. You don't need to be a coding prodigy or have taken AP Computer Science. WAICY welcomes beginners and provides resources to help you learn.

• Multiple tracks for different skill levels. Not ready to code an entire AI application? Do the AI-Generated Art track or the LLM track, which require less technical expertise.

• Virtual option. You can compete from anywhere in the world. You don't need to travel (unless you want to).

• International community. You're competing against students from many countries, which is a unique opportunity to see how young people around the world are thinking about AI.

  
  

3. You Actually Learn AI (Not Just Theory)

This isn't a competition where you can "BS" your way through with surface-level knowledge.

You're required to:

• Use actual AI technology (whether that's training a YOLO model, using GPT APIs, or working with image generation models)

• Solve real-world problems (not theoretical exercises)

• Explain your work to judges who will ask tough technical questions

I learned more about practical AI implementation in the 2-3 weeks I spent building my WAICY project than I did in months of reading about AI in theory.

4. It Builds Your AI Portfolio

Even if you don't make finals, you walk away with:

• A completed AI project you can showcase

• Experience working with cutting-edge AI tools

• Understanding of how to document and present technical work

• A certificate of participation

If you DO make finals, you have a significant achievement for college applications, internships, and future opportunities.

What I Competed With

In 2023, I entered two tracks:

AI Showcase Track: NutriGuide

My main project was NutriGuide, an AI-powered nutrition app that helps users make informed, health-conscious, and sustainable food choices.

The problem: People lack nutritional knowledge, unsustainable food consumption harms the environment, and finding diverse recipes tailored to dietary needs is challenging.

My solution: An app that uses:

• YOLO (object detection model) to identify food ingredients from photos

• OpenAI API to provide personalized nutritional guidance

• Features for meal logging, recipe generation based on dietary restrictions, and locating nearby sustainable markets

Tech stack: Python, Flask, MIT App Inventor, Firebase, PyTorch, OpenCV

Result: Made it to finals and presented virtually

AI-Generated Art Track: "Joys of Family"

I also submitted artwork created using AI image generation models based on the annual theme.

Result: 4th place

Who Should Consider WAICY

You should compete if:

• You're interested in AI (even if you're a beginner)

• You want to build something real, not just study theory

• You're looking for a free, accessible competition with global reach

• You want something impressive for college apps that isn't oversaturated

• You learn best by doing projects rather than taking classes

You might skip it if:

• You're not interested in AI at all

• You don't have 2-4 weeks to dedicate to building a project

• You're looking for a team-based competition (WAICY allows teams but works well solo)

• You hate presenting or explaining your work

Bottom line: If you're curious about AI and willing to put in the work, WAICY is one of the best opportunities available to high school students.

What's Next

In Part 2, I'll break down the competition tracks in detail: what each track actually requires, which one is right for your skill level and interests, and how to make the strategic choice between building a complex technical project versus showcasing AI creativity. I'll share why I chose AI Showcase as my main track, what I wish I'd known about the different tracks before entering, and specific guidance on matching your strengths to the right competition path.

About the Author: I'm Jophy Lin, a high school senior and researcher. I blog about a variety of topics, such as STEM research, competitions, shows, and my experiences in the scientific community. If you’re interested in research tips, competition insights, drama reviews, personal reflections on STEM opportunities, and other related topics, subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated!