MIT Media Lab
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Presented by Britebound and developed in collaboration with MIT SOLVE, the AI for a Better World competition will be featured as part of the America’s Youth AI Festival, taking place July 17–19, 2026 in Boston and Cambridge. Participants were invited to develop original ideas for how AI can be used in thoughtful, constructive, and community-centered ways. The competition encouraged students to connect innovation with real human needs and practical problem-solving. The winning teams that will present their concepts at the MIT Media Lab during the Festival include:
BoostT1D
Newton, MA · Aaron and Maicey
AI-powered diabetes decision-support helping people living with Type 1 diabetes interpret glucose data and support newly diagnosed families.
HADES
Durham, NC · Soham, Andy, Ryan and Aarush
Autonomous AI-powered drones that locate hurricane survivors in real time, cutting search times and saving lives.
NeuroCore
Atlanta, GA · Ishaan, Rishab, Rohan, and Rohaan
An AI-driven wearable system designed to turn rehabilitation into a more active process rather than passive support.
Project Rhine
Princeton, NJ and Mooresville, NC · Aadya and Roshan
A $120 IoT-AI water quality node that senses contamination and acts using Edge ML, to recommend interventions offline; deployable on public water bodies & for domestic use.
ResonAIte: Personalized Deaf Speech ASR
Ivyland, PA · Moksh and Naman
Restoring dignity and independence to deaf individuals through personalized, low-latency AI speech recognition for high-stakes everyday tasks.
“One of the most exciting things about young people learning about AI is seeing how quickly they begin applying it to the world around them. These students are demonstrating not just technical curiosity, but creativity, empathy, and a desire to make a meaningful difference.”
“These students are demonstrating exactly what they will need to succeed in future careers. They are building and applying AI fluency alongside durable skills like collaboration and critical thinking to solve relevant problems.”
“These teams embody what we hope students take away from Day of AI’s work. They are approaching AI not as a novelty, but as a tool that can be used thoughtfully and responsibly in service of real human needs.”
America’s Youth AI Festival is a national convening designed to elevate youth leadership at the intersection of AI, learning, and civic life. In addition to AI for a Better World presented by Britebound, the Festival will feature a Student Senate on AI Policy, Me, Myself, and AI, and other signature student experiences.