New York: The One Club for Creativity, in partnership with Google, has launched the first global One Club AI Creative Challenge, a bracketed esports-style competition that will bring AI creators from 16 cities worldwide into a series of timed creative battles.
Following initial competitions held during The One Club’s Creative Week 2026 in May and at Google Creative House at Cannes in June, the AI Creative Challenge will now expand globally, with participants competing for a total of $50,000 in prize money and the title of AI Creative Champion.
The competition will see 128 AI experts go head-to-head across events in 16 global cities. Participants will have 10 minutes to respond to a secret, randomly selected creative brief using generative AI. A jury comprising leading creatives will evaluate participants on speed, prompt mastery and creative execution, with one winner from each city progressing through the tournament.
Designed as a single-elimination bracket, the competition will crown one AI Creative Challenge Champion in each participating city. The city winners will then advance through quarterfinals and semifinals before competing in the grand finale, hosted by Google in New York on February 18, 2027.
The global competition will be held across three regional legs covering the US and Canada, EMEA and Latin America, and APAC.
The APAC leg includes Mumbai on October 27, hosted by Leo India Mumbai; Tokyo on October 16, hosted by Toranomon Festival 2026; and Sydney on November 19, hosted by Entropico.
Other participating cities include Los Angeles, Toronto, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Dubai, Istanbul, London, Lisbon, Mexico City and São Paulo. The Mexico City date is yet to be announced.
The competition is positioned as a spectator experience that puts human creativity and AI on display, with participants being tested on speed, creativity and technical skills under time pressure. The local events are free and open to members of the creative community as well as the general public.
“The AI Creative Challenge celebrates what happens when human imagination meets the latest AI technology,” added Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club for Creativity. “This isn’t about replacing creativity. It’s about showcasing the next generation of creative talent, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and giving creatives around the world a global stage to compete, learn, and inspire one another. Together with Google, we’re building a competition that will help define the future of creative excellence.”
The One Club said people interested in attending the local events can register through the competition’s timeline page by selecting their respective city.
The initiative comes as AI continues to reshape creative workflows, with the competition aiming to showcase how human creative thinking and generative AI can work together under real-time pressure.
