GenAI for Good Challenge 2025: IEEE x ITU Call for Global Innovations in Health, Agriculture and Climate

The IEEE Humanitarian Technologies and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have launched the GenAI for Good Challenge 2025, a global competition that invites innovators, researchers, and startups to develop responsible generative AI solutions for real-world social impact. The Challenge prioritizes deployable, human-centered systems and offers winning teams funding and pathways to field pilots with UN agencies.

The Challenge targets three priority use cases, each aligned with a UN Sustainable Development Goal and grounded in local needs: a non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention chatbot for The Gambia (health), an AI-driven agricultural extension chatbot for Lesotho (agriculture), and an extreme weather advisor for drought resilience in Bangladesh (climate). By focusing on tangible problems and pre-identified country contexts, the initiative aims to move promising prototypes from pilot to real-world deployment.

Program structure and support
The GenAI for Good Challenge offers up to $25,000 USD in funding to winning teams and access to the open-source GENIE.AI framework for scalable deployment. Winners will have the opportunity to pilot solutions in collaboration with relevant UN agencies — including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) — and to join a global network of technologists, implementers, and policy experts advancing ethical AI.

The program is co-designed to emphasize implementation. Teams accepted into the Challenge will be supported through structured prototyping phases and linked to local partners and in-country ecosystems identified through ITU’s collaborations. This design increases the likelihood that solutions will be culturally appropriate, technically robust, and operationally viable in the target contexts.

Who should apply
The Challenge welcomes multidisciplinary teams of AI developers, social innovators, researchers, and startups committed to building inclusive, deployable systems. Applications are open globally; teams should demonstrate a plan for local relevance, accessibility (including mobile and low-bandwidth adaptation where required), and responsible AI practices such as transparency, bias mitigation, privacy safeguards, and human-centered design.

Focus areas and use cases
• Health — Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Chatbot (The Gambia): A multilingual, evidence-based chatbot that offers personalized guidance on preventing and managing chronic conditions such as hypertension and tobacco-related risks.
• Agriculture — Extension Chatbot (Lesotho): A mobile-first assistant providing real-time advice to smallholder farmers, including crop guidance, market information, and voice/text options for basic phones.
• Climate — Extreme Weather Advisor (Bangladesh): A localized assistant delivering drought preparedness alerts, water-saving recommendations, and crop-specific resilience tips to support smallholder decision-making.

Why this Challenge matters
Generative AI presents powerful opportunities for scaling information and decision support, but its impact depends on how responsibly it is designed and deployed. The GenAI for Good Challenge creates a rare pathway for teams to work within a deployment pipeline backed by global institutions, increasing the chances that innovations will reach communities and deliver measurable benefits. By building on open-source tools and UN partnerships, the Challenge encourages solutions that are replicable, interoperable, and aligned with international standards.Timeline and next steps
Applications are open now and close on 1 December 2025.

Evaluation and selection will take place in early 2026, with deployment and pilot phases scheduled for mid-2026. Interested teams should sign up to receive updates and review available fact sheets and technical guidance for each use case.

Submit your application by 1 December 2025 and be part of a global effort to shape responsible, high-impact AI for public good.

For full details, application instructions, and technical resources, visit the GenAI for Good Challenge webpage.

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