Deadline: December 1, 2025
The GenAI for Good Challenge 2025 is a global open-source initiative jointly launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and IEEE to empower innovators, technologists, and changemakers to tackle real-world challenges through Generative AI for public good.
The challenge invites creative minds from across the world to design responsible and scalable AI solutions addressing pressing issues in health, agriculture, and climate resilience. The programme seeks to leverage open-source AI to strengthen public services and drive sustainable digital transformation.
The GenAI for Good Challenge 2025 encourages participants to build functional prototypes using the GENIE.AI framework, enabling the development of cost-efficient and transparent AI applications that can be tested, refined, and deployed in collaboration with global stakeholders.
Core Objectives of the Challenge
The main goal of the challenge is to:
- Promote responsible and inclusive AI innovation for public sector impact.
- Build open-source AI systems that enhance public service delivery.
- Foster collaboration between governments, academia, and the tech community.
- Encourage ethical, transparent, and sustainable AI adoption in developing countries.
By focusing on real-world applications, the initiative aims to ensure that Generative AI becomes a tool for social impact, not just technological advancement.
Focus Areas
Participants are invited to propose and develop solutions within one or more of the following thematic areas:
- Health:
Develop AI-powered tools that promote wellness, disease prevention, and healthcare accessibility. - Agriculture:
Build intelligent systems to enhance food security, optimise crop yields, and provide farmers with timely, data-driven insights. - Climate Resilience:
Create AI applications that predict, mitigate, or adapt to climate impacts, improving resilience at the community and policy levels.
Sample Pilot Projects and Use Cases
The challenge showcases several inspiring pilot projects that demonstrate how open-source Generative AI can transform lives:
- Lesotho – Agriculture Extension Chatbot:
A mobile-friendly chatbot providing farmers and extension workers with real-time agricultural advice, market insights, and crop health alerts through text, voice, and basic mobile channels. - The Gambia – NCD Prevention Chatbot:
A multilingual chatbot offering evidence-based personalised guidance for managing non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and tobacco addiction. - Bangladesh – Extreme Weather Advisor:
An AI assistant that delivers hyper-localised weather forecasts and crop risk predictions, supporting farmers in climate-vulnerable regions.
Funding and Support
Winners of the GenAI for Good Challenge 2025 will receive financial and technical support to advance their projects.
- Funding Amount: Up to USD 25,000 for winning teams.
- Support: Access to expert mentorship, capacity-building workshops, and potential pilot opportunities with public institutions and industry partners.
Eligibility Criteria
To ensure fair and impactful participation:
- Teams must consist of at least one active IEEE member at the time of final application submission.
- Applicants can be from any country and should demonstrate experience or interest in AI for social good, open-source innovation, or public service delivery.
- Multidisciplinary teams (developers, researchers, policymakers, social innovators) are strongly encouraged to apply.
Timeline and Key Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Launch / Registration Opens | 7 October 2025 |
| Online Info Sessions | 13 & 14 October 2025 |
| Application Deadline | 1 December 2025 |
| Finalists Notified | Week of 19 January 2026 |
| Winners Announced | April 2026 |
This timeline provides ample opportunity for idea development, prototype testing, and refining proposals before final submission.
Benefits of Participation
- Opportunity to co-create open-source AI solutions with global experts.
- Visibility through the AI for Good platform and international exposure.
- Access to mentorship, networking, and potential deployment opportunities.
- Contribution to global digital public goods aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Key Considerations
Participants should pay close attention to the following aspects when preparing their entries:
- Ensure AI solutions uphold ethical principles, transparency, and data privacy.
- Design for inclusivity, ensuring accessibility in low-resource settings.
- Consider scalability and sustainability of the proposed solutions beyond the competition phase.
Conclusion
The GenAI for Good Challenge 2025 represents a unique opportunity to harness Generative AI for transformative public service delivery. It’s a global call to action for innovators committed to ethical AI, open collaboration, and real-world impact.
If you are passionate about leveraging AI to solve critical social challenges in health, agriculture, or climate resilience, this is your chance to make a lasting difference.
📖 Read More About the Programme on ITU’s Official Website
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