On September 26, 2026, the Final Round of the Ho Chi Minh City Artificial Intelligence Challenge (AI Challenge) 2026 took place at SKY EXPO Vietnam International Convention and Exhibition Center, with the participation of QTSC as a co-organizer.

After more than four months of activities, AI Challenge 2026 attracted 811 teams with 4,005 contestants from 198 organizations in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces and cities. Following the Preliminary Round, 85 outstanding teams advanced to the Final Round, including 58 teams in Category A for university students and young people, and 27 teams in Category B for high school students.

Under the theme “Intelligent virtual assistant for in-depth analysis and information retrieval from large-scale multimedia data,” this year’s competition focused on bringing real-world urban data and challenges into the field of artificial intelligence. Contestants were given access to image and video datasets collected from traffic camera systems across Ho Chi Minh City. Using AI technologies such as language models, multimodal information retrieval, reasoning, and intelligent interaction, the teams developed solutions to query, search, and analyze multimedia data.

In the Final Round, the teams demonstrated their Intelligent virtual assistant solutions before a judging panel comprising Vietnamese and international experts and scientists. In addition to the traditional competition format, AI Challenge 2026 also piloted automated competitions between the teams’ Intelligent virtual assistants, providing contestants with an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to develop and apply AI to address real-world requirements.

Beyond providing a platform for contestants to challenge themselves and enhance their AI application capabilities, the competition also offered opportunities to connect with experts, scientists, and organizations involved in e-government and smart city initiatives. Throughout the competition, participants had access to specialized training programs and field visits to information technology and artificial intelligence companies. Promising solutions also had opportunities to be introduced through scientific activities, research collaboration, and product development initiatives.

As a co-organizer, QTSC contributed to creating an environment where young people could explore emerging technologies, gain hands-on experience, and develop AI capabilities through practical challenges. The competition also aligned with the direction of developing a digital talent ecosystem at QTSC by strengthening connections among education, research, the technology community, and businesses, thereby contributing to the identification and development of young talent in artificial intelligence and digital technology.

Through AI Challenge 2026, the spirit of research, innovation, and the application of science and technology continue to spread throughout the community. The competition also encouraged individuals and research teams to address challenges arising from the city’s real-world needs and work toward solutions that could deliver practical value to the community.

Ms. Pham Thi Kim Phuong – Deputy CEO of QTSC (right) presented flowers and commemorative tokens to members of the competition’s judging panel

The Organizing Committee, judging panel, and delegates posed for a group photo

Teams competed in the Final Round of AI Challenge 2026

Source: QTSC, Organizing Committee