Hecto Group Nurtures Next-Generation AI Experts
Proactive Approach to Internalizing AI Capabilities
A domestic competition that attracted a large number of artificial intelligence (AI) developers is drawing attention. This event was not organized by a major corporation or a government agency. Instead, it was the 'HAI! Hecto AI Challenge' recently concluded by the mid-sized company Hecto Group. In a landscape where AI technological capabilities are directly linked to corporate competitiveness, the company's proactive strategy to identify outstanding AI talent is being praised as highly effective.
According to Hecto Group on July 9, the 'Hecto AI Challenge' drew a total of about 1,400 participants, ranging from university students to working professionals and military personnel. They competed fiercely to develop AI models for vehicle type classification based on used car images.
The grand prize was awarded to a Korea University student who presented the most creative and technically advanced model, receiving a prize of 10 million KRW. The excellence awards and merit awards went to a joint student team from Seoul National University, Hanyang University, and Yonsei University, as well as a team from Seoul National University, with a total of five teams recognized. The competition highlighted individuals who demonstrated both practical AI capabilities and creativity.
All prize winners, including these teams, will be exempted from the document screening and first-round interview if they apply for a position at Hecto Group. Kim Minseop, the Korea University student who won the grand prize, said, "Before graduating from my undergraduate program, it was a great opportunity to apply what I have learned to real services and enhance my AI utilization skills."
As part of its 'Software Specialist Talent Development Program,' Hecto Group also regularly operates the 'Seokyeong SW Academy,' which provides mentoring to students in the software department at Seokyeong University. In the first semester of this year, two students who participated in the mentoring program achieved positive results by winning the '2025 Asia Impact Hackathon' international competition.
Both the 'HAI! Hecto AI Challenge' and the 'Seokyeong SW Academy' are held twice a year, in the first and second halves. Hecto Group aims to discover promising AI convergence talent early through these programs and to strengthen its talent base by linking them to recruitment within the group.
A Hecto Group representative stated, "We are operating a variety of education and recruitment-linked programs to foster talent who will lead the AI era," adding, "We plan to continue our talent-centered technology management going forward."
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