IEEE Industrial Electronics Society Generative AI Challenge 2026 – Call for Participants
The IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES) is pleased to invite global AI enthusiasts (students, academics, and industry practitioners) worldwide to participate in the IEEE IES Generative AI Challenge 2026, for advancing responsible and industrial applications of Generative Artificial Intelligence.
Now in its third consecutive year, this challenge provides participants with the opportunity to develop novel research contributions in Generative AI, with emphasis on real-world industrial applications, transparency, accountability, and responsible deployment.
Participants will work in teams under the guidance of international mentors and will progress through structured research milestones including problem formulation, literature review, methodology development, experimentation, and research paper preparation. The resulting research papers will be eligible for submission to:
- IECON 2026 – 52nd Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, Doha, Qatar (18–21 October 2026)
- IRAI 2026 – International Conference on Responsible Artificial Intelligence, Melbourne, Australia (3–5 September 2026)
Key highlights include:
- Opportunity to conduct research in Generative AI with mentorship from IEEE experts
- Accepted papers will receive full financial support from the challenge
- Opportunity to compete for 12+ travel grants to attend and present at international conferences
- Focus on industrial and responsible AI applications
- Structured research process designed to support high-quality research outcomes
- Opportunity to submit resulting work to IEEE-supported international conferences
- Recognition from the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society
- Global networking opportunities with researchers and professionals
The challenge is open to participants irrespective of prior research experience. Participants who are new to research will receive guidance throughout the process, from idea formulation to manuscript preparation. Experienced researchers may use this opportunity to advance their work, collaborate internationally, and compete for travel grants.
Participants may join individually or as teams.
Important Dates:
- Registration Deadline: 22 February 2026
- Challenge Duration: March– May 2026
We encourage interested participants from all IEEE Sections, Student Branches, and professional communities to take part in this international research initiative.