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The ASEAN AI Hackathon 2026 officially commenced on April 23, 2026, attracting 240 teams from over 100 universities across nine ASEAN countries. The event marks the launch of a large-scale regional innovation initiative aimed at fostering the development of artificial intelligence (AI) talent and seeking solutions to shared challenges in Southeast Asia.

ASEAN AI Hackathon 2026 opening ceremony  

The program is led by the ASEAN AI Council, co-organized by Duy Tan University, and supported by the Passage to ASEAN (P2A) organization. Under the theme “AI for a Resilient ASEAN: Innovation, Sustainability, and Humanity,” the hackathon seeks to enhance capabilities in applying AI to address real-world regional issues, particularly as Southeast Asia’s digital economy is projected to exceed USD 1 trillion by 2030.

At ASEAN AI Hackathon 2026, participating teams engage in specialized workshops and apply technologies such as Machine Learning (ML), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Computer Vision (CV) to tackle four key areas: climate change adaptation; public health and telemedicine; smart city development; and AI applications in education.

The top eight teams will be selected to advance to the Finals, where they will present their projects in person in Da Nang as part of the ASEAN AI Summit 2026, scheduled to take place in July 2026.

The program is expected to promote technological collaboration while contributing to the development of high-quality human resources to support digital transformation across ASEAN countries.

Below are highlights from the ASEAN AI Hackathon 2026 opening ceremony:

(Media Center)