No Code, Big Impact - The Open Category National AI Prompt Design Challenge For Businesses Begins!

Hot on the trails of the recently concluded Youth category National AI Prompt Design Challenge, Straits Interactive is now back with the event’s Open category edition, targeting business professionals. 

The event kicked-off on 29 August with a Meet & Greet day at the Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium, where over 100 participating teams were present. A multitude of companies and industries were represented, spanning Trade Associations, SMEs, Legal and Compliance, Education and freelance providers of professional services. 

Organised by Straits Interactive and co-organised by the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (ASME), this no-code Challenge is conducted in support of the Digital For Life movement. Further, the event collaborates with leading bodies in the digital sphere, such as AI Verify Foundation, Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore. SMU Academy is the Programme Partner for both the Youth and Open categories of the Challenge. 

“As we turn our focus to the SME sector, the importance of AI becomes even more apparent. In a world where technology is reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, AI is no longer a luxury but a necessity for businesses of all sizes,” said Michael Low, Deputy Director, Curriculum Development & Digitalisation and Head of Finance and Technology Programmes of SMU Academy.

The Challenge aims to equip working professionals and organisations with the skills and knowledge to leverage the power of generative AI and build functional chatbots or tools to boost productivity – with no programming knowledge. Whether they are looking to streamline departmental workflows, or to solve a business challenge, the event provides a platform for participants to showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills.

As part of the strategic mission of ASME, Ang Yuit, President of ASME, shared that he hopes to enable “the vision of Singapore’s SMEs as AI-Augmented businesses for productivity and profitability, while driving adoption of sustainability practices & mindsets for long term relevancy.”

Following the warm welcome of the organisers and sponsors, participants were eventually introduced to the judging panel and criteria, as well as the proceedings of the upcoming Bootcamp & Challenge section, happening from 9-11 September. Teams will be coming back on one of their allotted days within this three-day period, where they will first receive a crash course on prompt design and app creation, and thereafter, build their actual apps for submission. 

The apps will be built using Capabara, Straits Interactive’s generative AI platform, that supports seamless app creation, without coding expertise, on any Large Language Model in a safe, secure and sustainable environment. 

Quoting Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, Kevin Shepherdson, CEO & Founder of Straits Interactive, said: “It is our job to create computing technology such that nobody has to program and that the programming language is human. Everybody in the world is a programmer.” Thus, driving home the core mission of the Challenge and the Capabara platform.

The event’s Tech sponsor is MyRepublic. Prizes for the Open category are sponsored by Omada by TP-Link, myhalo, Rackspace and Elevation Events. Supporting partners include Asia AI Association, Association of Advertising and Marketing Singapore (AAMS), Lin Chamber of Commerce Singapore, Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Singapore Estate Agents Association (SEAA), Singapore Fashion Council, Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (SICC), Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) and Southwest Community Development Council (CDC).

The judging panel will be led by Chief Judge Harish Pillay and graced by leading figures from the supporting partners. Winners will be crowned on 15 October at Marina Bay Sands.

Photos of the National AI Prompt Design Challenge can be found here. 

We look forward to seeing the innovations of our participants during the Bootcamp & Challenge. Keep your eyes peeled for more updates!