A team presenting at the final presentation of the AICE Jam Session held earlier this month at Sangmyung University, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by KT
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] KT announced on the 29th that it has successfully concluded the artificial intelligence (AI) competition 'AICE Jam Session,' held for undergraduate students in collaboration with Sangmyung University to enhance the digital capabilities of South Korean youth.
In May, KT and Sangmyung University selected the teams advancing to the finals by evaluating undergraduate students' ideas on 'Utilizing AI to Solve Economic and Social Issues' during the preliminary round of the competition. After three months of mentoring and refinement, a total of seven teams competed in the final round.
The seven teams developed AI models and prototypes on topics such as a diary app that uses natural language processing (NLP) for sentiment analysis and empathetic comment conversion, sign language recognition technology based on facial recognition, road facility management using Road View, and early childhood language development programs. Throughout this process, Sangmyung University faculty and KT’s active developers participated as coaches to support the projects.
In the final round, teams proposing the 'Abandoned Dog Monitoring System,' 'Today's Outfit Recommendation,' and 'Road Facility Management Using Road View' were honored with awards. The winning teams received prize money and certificates signed by the CEO of KT and the President of Sangmyung University. Additionally, KT and Sangmyung University plan to actively utilize the winning teams' projects as teaching materials in AI education courses, creating a virtuous cycle where the competition leads to educational content.
A student from Sangmyung University’s Department of Human Intelligence Information Engineering who participated in the competition said, “It was beneficial to experience team projects, coaching, and AI certification exams simultaneously,” adding, “Especially through coaching by active developers, I had the opportunity to apply AI technologies used in the corporate field to the project, which helped me develop practical skills.”
Jin Young-sim, Head of KT Group Talent Development Office (Executive Director), stated, “We expect that through the AICE Jam Session, students have gained hands-on experience in AI development and grown as developers,” and added, “We will continue to expand industry-academia cooperation programs where universities and companies collaborate to create synergy.”
Kwon Chan-ho, Vice President of Sangmyung University, said, “Since being selected for the SW-Centered University Project in 2019, Sangmyung University has been actively fostering students’ capabilities in software (SW) and AI fields. Building on the cooperation between Sangmyung University and KT, we plan to create an innovative educational model where universities and companies can achieve a win-win outcome.”
Furthermore, KT and Sangmyung University are advancing industry-academia cooperation for AI talent development in broader areas, including launching a micro-degree program that grants academic credits by combining corporate AI commercialization capabilities with university educational know-how. Previously, KT established AI master’s programs linked to recruitment with Hanyang University and POSTECH and introduced AI certification into Sungkyunkwan University’s graduation certification system, demonstrating various collaborations with universities to nurture digital talent.
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