SUBMISSION DATE EXTENDED: Registration and submission date extended to November 21stSpeech videos and essays now due Saturday 21 November 2026. Online finals 5 December.
Global AI Debates
Entries close in
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Supported by the Future of Life Institute

Take part this fall

Record a speech on your age-group topic or write a team essay. Finalists develop and defend their ideas in live online rounds.

Speech divisions: 7–10, 11–13 and 14–18Entries due 21 November 2026Online finals: 5 December 2026
Register Free preparation resources

Full topics and track requirements are in the competition FAQ.

How It Works Fall 2026 Competition
Speech track · Individual
Record & submit
Students record a speech on an AI topic and submit it during the qualifying round. Judges review all entries and select the strongest for the live online final.
Top 20% advance to finals
Essay & Debate track · Team
Write & debate
Teams of 2 to 5 submit a 1,500-word essay arguing Pro or Con on the central topic. The strongest essays advance to live elimination debate rounds over Zoom.
Top 8 essays advance
Key dates
November 21 Registration closes
November 21 Submissions due
November 28 Finalists announced
December 5 Live finals online
Pricing
$120 Per entry (USD)
$100 Per entry · 10+ entries (USD)
Early bird has ended. Fee waivers are available for under-resourced schools. Contact us to apply.
Fall 2026 · Global AI Debates

This Season's Topics

Primary School Speech

“We support the development of self-driving cars.”

Ages 7–10 5-minute speech Solo
Middle School Speech

“There are jobs that AI should not be allowed to do, even if it is as good as humans.”

Ages 11–13 7-minute speech Solo
High School Speech

“AIs should be granted the rights of legal persons.”

Ages 14–18 7-minute speech Solo
Essay & Debate

“AIs should be granted the rights of legal persons.”

Any age 1500-word essay Teams of 2–5 Pro or Con

Citations and bibliography do not count toward the essay word limit. Essays exceeding 1500 words will not be considered.

Supported by

The Future of Life Institute

The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is an independent nonprofit working to steer transformative technology toward benefiting life and away from extreme large-scale risks. Founded in 2014, FLI has become one of the most influential voices in AI safety, biosecurity, and existential risk research globally.

The Global AI Debates is proud to be supported by FLI. Their grant makes it possible to award prizes to outstanding students, subsidise registration for teams from under-resourced schools, and expand access to the competition worldwide. FLI has also expressed interest in collaborating on future debate topics, ensuring the competition continues to reflect the most important questions in AI safety and governance.

MT
Dr. Max Tegmark
Co-founder & President, Future of Life Institute
Max Tegmark is a physicist and AI safety researcher at MIT, and one of the world's leading voices on the long-term implications of artificial intelligence. He is the author of Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, and a founding signatory of major AI safety initiatives including the 2023 open letter calling for a pause on giant AI experiments. His work bridges cutting-edge science and urgent questions about humanity's future.
Future of Life Prizes
Prize Pool
Fall 2026 — $3,500 total · Funded by a grant from the Future of Life Institute
Essay & Debate
Team event · 2–5 students
Top prize
Champion
$1,000
1st place team
Finalist
$350
2nd place team
Semifinalist
$100
Each · 2 teams
Lost in semifinals
Speech Competition
Primary School Speech
Ages 7–10
$400
1st
$150
2nd
$100
3rd
Middle School Speech
Ages 11–13
$400
1st
$150
2nd
$100
3rd
High School Speech
Ages 14–18
$400
1st
$150
2nd
$100
3rd
Urban Debate League Prize
UDL Prize
$100 per category · Awarded separately from the Future of Life Prize Pool
Top Urban Debate League participant in each division receives $100
UDL Special Prize
$100
Essay & Debate
$100
Primary school speech
$100
Middle school speech
$100
High school speech
If a UDL participant wins a Future of Life Prize in their category, the $100 UDL award passes to the next highest-placing UDL team or individual in that division.

Questions?

For registration, fee waivers, judging, or school participation, email Archie.

Or send a message using our contact form ↗