VAIC 2026 honours new generation of 'AI builders'

VAIC 2026 honours new generation of 'AI builders'

The 2026 Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge has concluded, recognising a new generation of AI builders whose solutions address real-world challenges.

L-GPT 6.7 won first prize at VAIC 2026

The 48-hour hackathon wrapped up on July 19, with the L-GPT 6.7 team claiming the championship with Lawgic, an AI-powered legal analysis platform that integrates graph-based reasoning. The project received the top prize of $10,000 for its technological innovation, practical applicability, and commercial potential.

The runner-up award, worth $5,000, went to Genation team for Tangent, an AI platform that transforms users' questions into interactive visual lessons, while SenAI team secured third place and $1,000 for its real-time English-Vietnamese bilingual translation solution.

Although the competition has concluded, organisers said the next stage is only beginning, with the winning teams expected to continue refining their products, engaging with industry partners, and exploring investment opportunities to bring their solutions to market.

Tran The Hung, co-founder and CEO of the AI for Vietnam Foundation, said VAIC was designed to achieve far more than identifying promising AI technologies. The programme aims to connect businesses with Vietnam's young innovation community, enabling high-potential ideas to evolve into products capable of real-world deployment.

"The messages and achievements of VAIC 2026 do not mark the end of a journey. They are the launchpad for the next stage of development," he said.

Reflecting on the competition, he noted that after 48 hours of intensive development, most teams remained committed to their original concepts, overcame technical challenges, and delivered working products before the deadline. That perseverance, he said, was ultimately more valuable than rankings or prize money because the ability to pursue a complex problem through to completion is essential for transforming AI ideas into viable products.

Organisers hope participating teams will continue developing their projects after the award ceremony. The prototypes built during the hackathon provide only an initial foundation and require further validation, technological refinement, product development, user testing, and commercial evaluation before they can be deployed at scale.

Hung added that while the championship trophy has found its winner, the lasting legacy of VAIC 2026 will be the growing community of 'AI Builders' established through the programme.

Truong Quoc Anh, director of Digital Banking at SHB, said the rapid advancement of AI, particularly generative AI, was fundamentally changing how people search for, access, and process information.

"AI has become part of almost every aspect of daily life. It is being applied across virtually every industry and is already accomplishing things that would have seemed unimaginable just three years ago. It has fundamentally transformed the way people interact with information," he said.

Anh added, while previous generations found it difficult to imagine life without Google Search, many young people today instinctively turn to AI assistants when seeking information. The shift illustrates how AI is becoming an everyday productivity tool, rather than remaining confined to research laboratories or experimental projects.

That philosophy was reflected throughout VAIC 2026, where teams worked directly on challenges proposed by businesses. The format encouraged participants to focus on practical deployment rather than simply demonstrating technical capability or conceptual ideas.

Genation team with Tangent claim the second prize at VAIC 2026

Vu Quoc Huy, director of the National Innovation Centre, praised the quality of the competing teams, saying that real business challenges enabled participants to develop solutions aligned with market demand, identify target users early, and incorporate practical applications from the design stage.

As most participants were university students, the competition also allowed them to test their knowledge in a high-pressure environment while strengthening teamwork, product development, and presentation skills.

"VAIC 2026 reflects Vietnam's broader strategy to accelerate scientific research, technological development, innovation, and strategic industries, with AI playing a central role. Rather than approaching AI primarily through theoretical study, the programme challenged young innovators to build products capable of solving concrete problems," Huy said.

NIC plans to continue supporting the strongest projects through incubation and accelerator programmes, while providing access to laboratories, innovation spaces, and product development facilities. Teams will also be connected with businesses, investors, and domestic and international partners to help validate their technologies, access industry data, refine their products, and identify commercial opportunities.

"I hope this programme will produce many more Vietnamese-made AI products, new technology companies, and talented young innovators who will continue contributing to Vietnam's journey of scientific advancement, technological innovation, and digital transformation," Huy said.

The third prize for SenAI team

Held from July 17 to 19, VAIC 2026 attracted nearly 1,500 participants from 340 teams, making it one of Vietnam's largest AI competitions. During the 48-hour hackathon, participants developed AI solutions, built functional prototypes, and refined their pitches with guidance from leading domestic and international experts and mentors.

At the final Demo Day, the top 10 teams presented and defended their solutions before a judging panel. This year's entries reflected a clear shift from research-focused projects towards market-oriented applications, addressing practical challenges faced by businesses, local authorities, and the wider economy while demonstrating strong commercial potential.

A defining feature of the event was its expert advisory board and judging panel, comprising leading AI researchers, scientists, and technology executives from Vietnam and abroad. Drawing on experience across global technology companies, research institutes, and universities, the panel provided technical feedback and strategic recommendations that helped participating teams strengthen their solutions to international standards while maintaining practical relevance.

VAIC 2026 was jointly organised by the NIC, Meta, the AI for Vietnam Foundation, FPT Corporation, and Duy Tan University, with support from international organisations, technology companies, and industry partners, including SHB.

VIR