CTDIAC 2026 — Thesis and Dissertation Contest in AI and Computational Intelligence

CTDIAC 2026 is the 15th edition of the Thesis and Dissertation Contest in Artificial and Computational Intelligence, a satellite event of BRACIS 2026 held from 19 to 22 October 2026 in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, at the Centro de Eventos do UniSENAI. Rather than a conventional paper conference, CTDIAC is a competitive showcase: it recognises and awards the best master's dissertations and doctoral theses in AI and Computational Intelligence defended at Brazilian universities between August 2024 and July 2026. Candidates submit a one-to-two-page research summary referencing the full monograph, and the contest is judged across two separate tracks for MSc and PhD work.

The selection process runs in two stages. A peer-review committee first evaluates the written summaries; top-ranked entries then advance to an in-person oral presentation before a dedicated committee, which ranks first, second and third place in each track along with up to three honourable mentions. For attendees, CTDIAC offers a concentrated view of the most accomplished recent graduate research in the country across topics including machine and deep learning, generative AI, specialised model families, agentic AI, multi-agent systems, natural language processing, knowledge representation, quantum machine learning and AI ethics. The 2026 contest is chaired by Ana Carolina Lorena and Rosiane de Freitas (PhD track) and Lilian Berton and Araken de Medeiros Santos (MSc track). It is an ideal stop for those wanting to spot emerging Brazilian AI talent.