By Sanya Saxena, Third year, Neuroscience
“Pure excitement and an overwhelming sense of fulfilment.” This is how University of Bristol student Hanrui Wu summed up the moment when he and his teammates won first place — and £5,000 — at the national Elevate Great AI Competition. Their winning idea? An AI platform called IEdu, designed to prioritise children’s learning, privacy, and equality.
The Elevate Great AI competition is a national challenge that invites students to explore ways in which AI can support early childhood development. Students are asked to propose ideas that either harness the benefits of AI or mitigate its potential harms to young children. Teams are assessed on innovation, technical insight, and impact across three demanding rounds.
Bristol’s winning team—Wenxuan Xu, Yunlin Liang, Chujie Sun, and Hanrui Wu—came together to answer a question that parents and educators have long wrestled with: How can technology help every child thrive without risking their privacy or undermining real human connection?
Their project, IEdu, aims to utilise AI to give young children the chance to personalise their learning. It also allows parents to be involved in a meaningful way and provide educators with technology-driven learning tools - all while maintaining those important student-teacher interactions. Unlike most AI tools that rely on large amounts of personal data, IEdu would use small, local models that can work on people’s devices, thereby helping to protect young children’s privacy while still delivering quality, personalised learning support.
IEdu, aims to utilise AI to give young children the chance to personalise their learning
Reflecting on their win, teammate Yunlin Liang emphasised how tackling a complex challenge like this proved the power of combining ideas from different fields. 'This journey helped me rediscover the true value of interdisciplinary thinking,' Yunlin said.
'It also taught me that as long as we stay curious and take the initiative to learn, regardless of background, everyone can play a role in shaping the future of technology.'
Professor Tansy Jessop, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students, also praised the team’s dedication and thoughtful approach. 'These remarkable students have not only demonstrated exceptional talent but have also shown what the future of AI can look like when driven by purpose and passion.'
Their win is a testament to what is possible when students tackle the most complex questions facing our generation today with creativity and curiosity. Ideas like IEdu demonstrate that new technology doesn’t just have the power to change the world
For the IEdu team, this is only the beginning. They will hold workshops across the UK to explore how their idea may now be put into practice. As AI becomes an increasingly integral part of daily life, projects like IEdu offer valuable insights into how AI can be used responsibly to shape learning for future generations.
Congratulations to Bristol’s award-winning team, and we wish them the best of luck as they work to turn their vision into reality.
Featured images: The competition winners
