A project exploring the meaningful and ethical integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into early childhood education has won first place in the UK Elevate Great AI Competition 2025.
Developed by a team of students from the University of Bristol, IEdu is an AI-powered ecosystem designed to support early childhood learning.
Team members Wenxuan Xu, Yunlin Liang, Chujie Sun, and Hanrui Wu successfully advanced through all three stages of the competition, ultimately claiming the top prize of £5,000. They will now take part in a series of workshops to further develop and explore the implementation of their idea across the UK.
IEdu uses AI to improve educational equity, reduce institutional pressure, and aims to cultivate a generation of critically minded, tech-enabled learners.
It also supports personalised learning for children, empowers parents through meaningful involvement, and equips educators with AI tools that enhance teaching while maintaining human connection.
Facing a substantial gap in AI research and datasets for early childhood, the team designed and deployed local AI models themselves, allowing IEdu to be built as a fully child-friendly and privacy-conscious system.
Reflecting on the moment the team had learned they won, International Relations student Hanrui said:
“That first moment was pure excitement and joy, followed by an overwhelming sense of fulfilment. We feel incredibly fortunate to have shared this unique journey as a team, and we’re deeply grateful for the University’s unwavering support throughout.”
The competition provides UK university students the opportunity to explore the potential benefits and risks of AI in supporting early childhood development. Participants were prompted to utilise AI’s positive impact or mitigate its potential harms.
Postgraduate management student Yunlin said:
“This journey helped me rediscover the true value of interdisciplinary thinking. 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.”
Tansy Jessop, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students, added: “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.”
