SOTA: Learning AI in the Open, from First Model to Olympiad
Founding team · sota.ai.community@gmail.com
Abstract
SOTA is an AI community built primarily for students preparing for the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), and open to anyone who wants to learn. We run live lectures, olympiad preparation, mentorship and open-source projects, all on Discord [1]. Our 500+ members include high school and college students, and everyone learns alongside olympiad medalists.
Keywords: IOAI preparation, machine learning, live lectures, mentorship, open source
1Introduction
In machine learning papers, the best result so far is called the state of the art. It is the number printed in bold:
SOTA=arg maxmscore(m)
(1)
We named our community after it. SOTA is built for students aiming at IOAI, and it is open to anyone who wants to get there, whether you are learning from scratch, studying AI in college, or building your own tools. We learn in the open, and curiosity leads.
2What we do
2.1Live lectures
Sessions on Discord for every level, from your first model to the ideas behind research papers.
2.2Olympiad preparation
Structured prep guides, mock contests and training sessions run by past olympiad qualifiers.
2.3Mentorship
Guidance from students who have competed at IOAI, whether you are stuck on a bug or deciding what to learn next.
2.4Open-source projects
Build AI tools in the open with other members, and learn how real projects come together.
3How to join
There is no application. The whole procedure is Algorithm 1.
Require: curiosity about AI, any experience level
Ensure: you are part of the community
- join the Discord server [1]
- say hello and tell us what you want to learn
- while there is a lecture, project or mock contest do
- show up, ask questions, help someone else
- end while
- return something you built and are proud of
Author biographies
The students who started SOTA. Follow the community on LinkedIn [2].
References
- [1]SOTA Discord server. discord.gg/RAk9r2JtzC
- [2]SOTA – AI Community on LinkedIn. linkedin.com/company/sota-community
- [3]SOTA-AI December Contest, 2025. Devpost. sota-ai-december-contest.devpost.com
- [4]Contact the founding team. sota.ai.community@gmail.com
AFrequently asked questions
A.1What is SOTA?
An AI community built mainly for IOAI aspirants and open to everyone, with olympiad preparation, lectures, mentorship and hands-on projects.
A.2Who can join?
Anyone interested in AI, whatever your experience level. SOTA is built mainly for IOAI aspirants, and many of our members are college students.
A.3How do I prepare for AI olympiads?
Start with our structured prep guides and mock contests, and join the training sessions run by past olympiad qualifiers. Mentors are on Discord.
A.4Can I contribute to SOTA?
Yes. You can volunteer, create content, help organize events or become a mentor. Say so on Discord or email us.
BPast contests
| Contest | Ran | Tracks |
|---|---|---|
| December Contest [3] | Dec 2025 – Jan 2026 | Classical ML, NLP, computer vision |
| October Contest | Oct 2025 – Nov 2025 | Classical ML, NLP, computer vision |