ITU AI for Good Robotics Youth Challenge Uganda — Building Next-Generation Problem Solvers

The ITU's AI for Good initiative hosted its Robotics for Good Youth Challenge in Uganda on April 17, gathering young people to design and build AI-powered robotic solutions to local real-world problems. The event is part of ITU's global effort to build AI literacy and robotics skills among youth in the Global South, addressing the gap in AI talent development outside of North America, Europe, and East Asia. Teams competed to solve challenges in agriculture, health delivery, and environmental monitoring — applying robotics and machine learning to problems directly relevant to Ugandan communities. These youth challenges form a core part of the AI for Good strategy to ensure the next generation of AI innovators includes voices from Africa, building a pipeline of AI talent who will develop tools addressing local needs rather than importing solutions designed for different contexts.