ABOUT AI READY ASEAN YOUTH CHALLENGE
The AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge is a regional ideathon empowering young innovators across Southeast Asia to harness the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence for social good.
Designed to promote AI literacy, strengthen regional collaboration, and inspire real-world impact, the challenge invites youth to imagine and build practical AI-driven solutions that uplift communities and advance an inclusive, sustainable future for ASEAN.
Whether you're new to AI or already exploring its possibilities, the AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge is your platform to learn, innovate, and lead. Join us in shaping the next generation of AI-empowered public-good solutions for Southeast Asia.
WHY JOIN US
Southeast Asia is rapidly adopting AI, sparking innovation across industries and transforming the region’s digital landscape. Yet, many of these advancements have not fully reached everyday communities.
By joining, you’ll have the chance to create meaningful AI-driven solutions that directly benefit the people and communities you care about.
Stand out as a local innovator, and you may even earn the opportunity to represent your country and showcase your work on the regional stage.
THE CHALLENGE
Propose a practical and sustainable AI-integrated solution that delivers clear public good and addresses a real-world challenge faced by local or regional Southeast Asian communities, with the aim of achieving one or more of Google.org’s key focus areas:
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Please note that the AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge has a few eligibility criteria that you must fulfil before registering.
You must be a country resident within the following ASEAN countries:
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
You must be between 18 and 35 years old and currently enrolled in an educational institution
You may participate as an individual or a team of no more than 3 people
All members in a team must be from the same country of residence, with at least 1 member being citizen of the country that your team is representing
HOW TO GET STARTED
1
Step 1
Identify a Real-World Issue
Start by identifying a real-world issue that affects a specific local or regional Southeast Asian community. The issue you identify should align with at least one or more of Google.org’s focus areas:
● 📚 Knowledge, Skills & Learning: Expanding access to knowledge and skills people need to thrive
● 🔬 Scientific Progress: Accelerating scientific discovery to address society’s biggest challenges
● 🤝 Stronger Communities: Enabling a safer digital world while strengthening communities in the face of crises
2
Step 2
Create an AI-integrated Solution
Explore how AI can be used responsibly to solve the issue that you have identified in Step 1. Your proposed solution should create meaningful and measurable impact, while contributing to public good, both in the short and long term
It should aim to achieve one or more of Google.org’s focus areas: Knowledge, Skills & Learning, Scientific Progress, and Stronger Communities
3
Step 3
Grow Your Impact
To ensure your solution drives lasting impact, plan how you will raise AI awareness among at least 1,000 community members by educating, engaging, or empowering them to adopt AI in ways that support or complement your solution
PRIZES FOR WINNERS
Regional Grand Finals Winners
1ST PRIZE
2ND PRIZE
3RD PRIZE
National Winners For Each Country
1ST PRIZE
+ paid flight & accommodation to be present in Singapore in May 2026 for the Regional Grand Finals
2ND PRIZE
3RD PRIZE
People’s Choice Awards
Most popular video submission per country
USD $100 per country
SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Submission Deadline: 24 March 2026, 11:59 PM GMT+8
Each team should appoint one member as the Team Representative, who will be responsible for submitting the following on the Submission Portal
A PDF WRITTEN PROPOSAL IN ENGLISH (MAX. 5 PAGES) CONTAINING:
Target audience/beneficiaries: Identify who you aim to support with your proposed AI-integrated solution
Problem statement: Clearly define the real-world challenge you are trying to address within your local community or in a larger Southeast Asian context. Identify which of Google.org’s focus areas you are addressing, explain the importance of the issue, and describe how your target audience is currently impacted
AI-based solution: Explain how AI technologies will be used in your solution, and why AI is a suitable, innovative, and responsible approach
Feasibility: Show how your solution can realistically be implemented (consider resources, partners, timeline, etc.)
Scalability & impact: Describe how your solution can grow beyond initial implementation, and the potential positive outcomes at the community, national, or regional level
Outreach plan: Outline how you will raise AI awareness among at least 1,000 community members, to educate and encourage them to better understand AI and adopt AI in ways that support or complement your solution
Tip: Use diagrams, charts, wireframes or examples where helpful. These are optional, but highly encouraged.
A 3-MIN PITCH VIDEO IN ENGLISH COVERING:
*you may add subtitles in your native language to help the public understand your video content
Your video should summarise your idea in a clear and engaging way. It must include:
The real-world challenge you are addressing
Your target audience / beneficiaries
A concise explanation of your AI-based solution
Wireframes are optional, but highly encouraged to illustrate your concept
Prototype demonstrations are strongly encouraged
Explain the specific benefits your solution will bring, and how you will measure these results for your target audience
Why your solution is innovative, inspiring, and impactful
Tip: Keep your message simple. Use visuals, storytelling elements, and real-world examples so that even audiences with limited AI knowledge can understand and be convinced by your solution.
JUDGING CRITERIA
KEY PROGRAMME DATES
WHAT TO PREPARE FOR THE REGIONAL
GRAND FINALS
All country winners will be invited to attend the Regional Grand Finals taking place in Singapore in May 2026, to present their winning solution to a panel of judges at their respective country booth.
As part of the preparation leading up to the Regional Grand Finals, each country winner will be paired with an advisor to refine the showcase materials and presentation content. Each team will need to prepare the following for their showcase:
WEEK OF 18 - 24 MAY 2026
Regional Grand
Finals Presentation, Award Ceremony and Solution Showcase will take place in Singapore
22 & 23 MAY 2026
Solution Showcase at Country Booth at the AI Student Developer Conference 2026
Kickstart your AI Learning Journey
AI isn’t just for experts. It’s a tool that shapes our daily life and communities,
and learning about it starts right here.
Explore the trusted resources below to gain the confidence and knowledge you need to understand AI, support responsible adoption, and engage meaningfully with it in your daily life.
Gain an introduction to AI through this free online Literacy in AI course, where you will learn about common machine learning terms and models, understand the basic workings of deep learning, and explore the topics of ethics in AI.
A global initiative designed to help students and educators take their first step into understanding and creating with AI with fun and interactive activities and resources.
A free e-learning portal by the ASEAN Foundation, where you can gain a basic understanding of AI fundamentals, applications of AI in daily life, and the responsible use of AI.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
About the AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge
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