Starting in 2026, the Prix Ars Electronica will introduce a dedicated award stream recognising artificial intelligence initiatives that tackle social, environmental and humanitarian problems. The AI for Social Impact Initiative, developed jointly by CARE Austria and Ars Electronica, will be presented alongside the festival's traditional Golden Nicas awards at the Linz/Vienna event running June 30, 2026.

The initiative seeks out practical applications of AI in domains including healthcare, education, food security, climate resilience and emergency response. Projects must demonstrate collaboration with the communities they serve and deliver lasting social value. The award programme will distribute €15,000 across two Grand Prizes and three Awards of Distinction, drawn from all entries to both the Prix Ars Electronica 2026 and the S+T+ARTS Prize 2026. Special consideration goes to submissions from Africa, Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and the MENA region.

Evaluation criteria extend beyond innovation to encompass transparency, ethical responsibility and measurable long-term impact. Beyond the competition itself, the initiative functions as a platform for sustained partnership: winning teams gain access to CARE's global network of country offices and opportunities to develop extended collaborations.

Grand Prize Winners

HelpMum: Maternal Health Through AI-Powered Information

HelpMum (Nigeria) has developed artificial intelligence tools designed to strengthen maternal and child health in regions with limited medical infrastructure. The organisation operates two WhatsApp-based applications: MamaBot AI and VaxAI deliver evidence-based guidance on pregnancy, childbirth and immunisation to expectant mothers, parents and caregivers. A third tool, StratifyAI, enables healthcare workers to flag high-risk pregnancies and intervene early. Together, these applications form an integrated pathway spanning pregnancy through early childhood vaccination, using accessible digital channels and AI-driven insights to reduce complications and advance health equity.

Afiya AI: Navigating Healthcare as a Migrant

Afiya AI Solution (Tunisia), created by Shadi Henchiri, addresses barriers migrants face when seeking medical care in North Africa. The project operates a continuous WhatsApp service delivering clear information, tailored guidance and practical support for accessing healthcare. Migrants in the region frequently encounter health risks, lack insurance coverage and confront structural obstacles to treatment. By pairing artificial intelligence with a widely-used messaging platform, the initiative removes friction from healthcare navigation and upholds the right to health for populations in precarious circumstances.

Awards of Distinction

Three additional projects received recognition for their contributions to social impact through technology:

  • Global Level of Confidence (Antimetric Institute, Canada) — restoring family identities of victims from Argentina's military dictatorship
  • AI-Powered Teacher Competency Assessment Tool / TCAT (Oluwaseun Kayode and Schoolinka Team, Nigeria) — supporting professional development for educators in under-resourced school systems
  • Early Crop Pests and Diseases Detection Solar-Powered AI Technology (Farmer Lifeline and Esther Kimani, Kenya) — deploying solar-powered AI to minimise crop damage and advance sustainable farming

Festival Conference and CARE's Mission

The winning initiatives will anchor a dedicated conference, "AI for Social Impact – Negotiating Humanity in Times of Crisis," scheduled for Friday 11 September at the Ars Electronica Festival in the Ursulinensaal, held in partnership with CARE Austria. The session will examine how artificial intelligence can serve populations facing crises, conflict, poverty and climate impacts, exploring both the promise and pitfalls of AI in health, education, humanitarian response and civic engagement.

CARE, established in 1945 to address post-war hunger and deprivation in Europe, now operates across more than 120 countries with predominantly local workforces. The organisation concentrates on combating poverty, hardship and exclusion, with particular emphasis on advancing the rights and capabilities of women and girls. The AI for Social Impact Initiative marks CARE's 80th anniversary and signals the organisation's evolution in applying technology to humanitarian and development challenges.

When designed with equity in mind, technology can provide answers to some of the most pressing questions of our time. The winners stood out because of the clarity and urgency of their mission, and their dedication to pursuing it. The AI for Social Impact Initiative showcases the potential of artificial intelligence when consistently geared towards social impact and developed in collaboration with those it is intended to support. The winning projects use AI to provide concrete solutions to health challenges faced by pregnant women and refugees in underserved regions — two particularly vulnerable groups whose access to medical care urgently needs to be improved. In the case of 'HelpMum', the jury was convinced by the project's grounding in the operational realities of resource-constrained healthcare systems. In the case of 'The Afiya AI Solution', it was the ambition to combine technical sophistication with a deeply human-centred approach.

Andrea Barschdorf-Hager, CEO of CARE Austria

Source: Ars Electronica