Choose a real local problem
Your idea must respond to a genuine Sarawak need, from public services and agriculture to education, tourism, safety or heritage.
AI Code Competition 2026
AI Code Challenge
AI Made for Sarawak
Choose a real problem in Sarawak, build a working AI prototype, and show how your idea can move from concept to impact.
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Registration and idea submission closes 12 August 2026
2-3
members per team
2
student categories
6
challenge tracks
Top 5
finalists per category
24h
on-site finale
The Challenge
Bring a Sarawak problem. Build an AI answer.
Make AI do meaningful work
AI should be the engine of the solution, not a decorative add-on. Use it to classify, assist, generate, analyze, guide or automate.
Show the path to impact
The best teams can explain who benefits, why it matters in Sarawak, and how their prototype could become useful beyond the competition.
Phase 1 Submission
Two items to register your team.
Upload both items to the registration form by 12 August 2026. The poster and proposal are used for preliminary judging.
AI-generated concept poster
Create an A3 visual poster that depicts your concept, solution or target audience.
- Submit as PDF or high-resolution image
- Use AI to generate the visual
- Finalists can reuse this poster at the finale
Written proposal
Prepare a PDF proposal with a strict maximum length of two pages.
- Use the required five headings below
- Name your chosen challenge track
- Explain exactly how AI powers the solution
Required Proposal Headings
Use these five headings exactly.
- Problem Statement and Chosen Track State the problem and identify one of the six challenge tracks.
- Sarawak Relevance Explain who the user is and why the problem matters here.
- Proposed AI Solution Describe how your solution works and how AI does the core work.
- Target Users Define who will use or benefit from the solution.
- Intended AI Tools List the AI platforms, APIs, code, low-code or no-code tools you plan to use.
6 Challenge Tracks
Pick the problem your idea wants to help.
Start with a real situation you understand, then choose the track that best fits the people you want to help.
Use AI to help people discover local heritage, languages, food, places, events and community stories.
Build tools that help students revise, practise, ask questions, plan study time or understand difficult topics.
Help small sellers, student businesses, farmers, food makers or homestays with branding, content, records or customers.
Make everyday processes easier, like understanding forms, finding the right service or explaining public information clearly.
Create tools for health awareness, emergency information, flood readiness, community alerts or safer daily decisions.
Use AI to support plants, pests, wildlife, waste, energy use, water issues or care for the environment.
Competition Timeline
From idea submission to grand finale.
Core Rules
Build fair, original and on-site.
These are the key rules from the official guidebook. Download the guidebook for the full submission template.
2 to 3 members
Individual entries are not accepted. Each participant may register under one team only.
A and B
Category A is for secondary school teams. Category B is for IPTA and IPTS teams.
Original AI work
Your project must be original and must use AI as a core component of the solution.
Free tiers are enough
Teams may use code, APIs, open-source libraries, low-code or no-code tools. No team is required to buy anything.
Final builds happen at TDV
During 16-22 August, finalists may research, interview users and sketch on paper only. All code and content must be created on-site between 08:30 on 23 August and 11:00 on 24 August.
Teams retain IP
Mentors advise and challenge; they do not build. Teams retain intellectual property, while organizers may showcase submitted work.
Questions & Answers
Before you register.
Teams must have 2 to 3 members. The challenge has two student
categories: secondary school and IPTA / IPTS.
Sarawakian studying at a university in Sarawak: ✅
Eligible
Non-Sarawakian studying at a university in Sarawak: ✅
Eligible
Sarawakian studying at a university outside Sarawak and
Malaysia, at own cost: ✅ Eligible
Submit an A3 AI-generated concept poster plus a written proposal PDF of no more than two pages.
You can use coding frameworks, APIs, low-code tools or no-code workspaces. The important part is that AI performs meaningful work in your solution.
No. Finalists may research, interview users and sketch on paper during preparation week, but code, design files, decks and repository commits must wait until the on-site finale.
Yes. Presentations and pitches can be delivered in Bahasa Malaysia or English.
Ready to Build?
Register your team for AI Code.
Submit your team, concept poster and two-page proposal through the registration form before 12 August 2026.