Tencent Cloud and AI Singapore Connect Singapore's AI Talent with Real-World Industry Challenges

Together with Aspire, DBS, Keppel, NTU LKCMedicine, and Ryde, the hackathon will explore how AI-powered solutions can deliver greater value for businesses and communities

SINGAPORE, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tencent Cloud, the cloud business of global technology company Tencent, and AI Singapore joined forces with leading Singaporean institutions Aspire, DBS, Keppel, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (NTU LKCMedicine) and Ryde to challenge developers, innovators, students and start-ups to solve real industry problems with practical AI solutions.

Running from 16 September to 3 November 2026, the AI CAN DO IT Tencent Cloud Hackathon Singapore 2026 comes as Singapore supports 100,000 professionals in the nation to become "AI Bilingual", deepening their AI fluency and helping them apply AI within their respective domains and workflows.^[1] With one in five senior executives having identified talent as the single biggest challenge to scaling AI and delivering measurable impact, the importance of nurturing talent alongside fast-emerging AI tools and technologies cannot be understated.^[2]

The hackathon's industry-led format requires participants to apply AI skills, domain knowledge, and AI tools provided by Tencent Cloud to solve any of five industry-specific challenge statements contributed by the Singaporean organisations. Participants will receive training and technical support from Tencent Cloud and AI Singapore, in addition to receiving 1,000 credits per registered participant to utilize Tencent CodeBuddy, an AI-powered development tool that helps users plan, generate and refine software through natural-language interaction, Tencent WorkBuddy, an AI workspace that can break down multi-step tasks and coordinate specialised agents and tools, as well as Tencent Design Miora, an AI-native creative studio with persistent memory that helps designers, content creators, and marketers maintain visual consistency across brands and campaigns.

Routine and time-intensive work represents one area where AI tools can make a meaningful difference. Amid increasing interest in Tencent Cloud's AI tools in Singapore, the programme encourages developers, students and businesses to explore how these tools can be applied across industries, freeing people to focus on work where human judgement, strategy and creativity matter most.

"At Tencent Cloud, we believe the value of AI is most apparent when it is applied to real business needs. By bringing together AI Singapore, organisations across five sectors and local talent, this hackathon gives participants the opportunity to combine industry knowledge with Tencent Cloud's AI tools, cloud capabilities and technical support," said Bluefin Jiannan Zhao, Vice President of Tencent Cloud and Managing Director of Tencent Cloud International APAC. "We hope this will help participants turn promising ideas into practical solutions for enterprises, while nurturing the talent and collaboration that will support Singapore's growing AI ecosystem."

Five Tracks Based on Local Industry Needs
The challenge statements are made up of real-world scenarios from crucial Singaporean industries, with submissions to be evaluated on their relevance, human-centric design, use of AI, technical execution, feasibility, responsible AI practices and potential business impact:

• Banking, supported by DBS: Design a secure conversational transaction agent that can interpret natural-language requests while keeping transaction execution deterministic and subject to explicit user authorisation.
• Real estate, supported by Keppel: Explore how expert knowledge can be captured and converted into reusable, governed intelligence that supports decisions and operations across different assets.
• Healthcare, supported by LKCMedicine: Develop patient-facing AI tools that support safer self-triage, care navigation or long-term self-care while recognising when professional attention is required.
• FinTech, supported by Aspire: Building a Context-Aware Enterprise Knowledge System with role-based access control (RBAC), security logging & audit trail.
• Digital native, supported by Ryde: Create a multi-agent system that assesses rider and driver evidence, applies company policies and recommends fair, transparent outcomes for common ride-hailing disputes.

"Building a strong AI talent base requires more than technical instruction — people also need opportunities to apply AI within the real-world contexts of different industries," said Mr Laurence Liew, Director of AI Innovation, AI Singapore. "By working on challenges contributed by organisations across several sectors, participants can gain practical experience while developing a better understanding of users, responsible design, and what it takes to move an AI concept towards real-world deployment." 

Project submissions will close on 16 October 2026, with shortlisted teams to be announced on 23 October; they will be invited to present their solutions at the Hackathon Demo Day and Award Ceremony on 3 November, held as part of the annual Tencent Cloud Day Singapore. Participants will then demonstrate their solutions, with cash prizes of S$10,000, S$5,000 and S$2,000 awaiting the top three winners. Outstanding participants may be considered for internship fast-track opportunities with Tencent. Selected projects may also be considered for further proof-of-concept collaboration, investment or incubation support, subject to additional evaluation.

Registration is now open at https://qdrl.qq.com/65xN1yft. This initiative is also supported by Tencent Cloud's community partners NUS Enterprise, NTU's School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, the Singapore Management University's Master of IT in Business programme, and Insignia Ventures Partners, alongside technical partners Beyondsoft, GenTube.com and Knovel, whose expertise will help participants turn bold ideas into working prototypes. More information on the five challenge statements, participation requirements and submission process is available in the official hackathon handbook.

About Tencent Cloud
Tencent Cloud, one of the world's leading cloud companies, is committed to creating innovative solutions to resolve real-world issues and enabling digital transformation for smart industries. Through our extensive global infrastructure, Tencent Cloud provides businesses across the globe with stable and secure industry-leading cloud products and services, leveraging technological advancements such as cloud computing, Big Data analytics, AI, IoT, and network security. It is our constant mission to meet the needs of industries across the board, including the fields of gaming, media and entertainment, finance, healthcare, property, retail, travel, and transportation.

About AI Singapore (AISG)
AISG is a national initiative driven by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and the National Research Foundation, Singapore (NRF).

AISG brings together Singapore-based research institutions and the broader ecosystem of AI start-ups and companies to support use-inspired research, grow knowledge, create tools, and develop the talent to power Singapore's AI efforts.

For more information on AI Singapore, please visit https://www.aisingapore.org.

SOURCE Tencent Cloud