Finalists vie for US$14,000 prize as Guangzhou hosts future of AI at annual algorithm competition
From unmanned boats and humanoid robots to AI addressing elderly care and surgery, global competitors vie for prizes and lucrative market access
The future of artificial intelligence was on display at Guangzhou’s annual Pazhou Algorithm Competition on Monday, where teams from around the world competed to showcase the latest in applications, hardware and AI agents.
Some 24 finalists in two categories presented innovations – from unmanned boats and humanoid robots to AI addressing elderly care and surgery – all competing for a top prize of 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) for each category along with valuable data and computing resources to support their projects.
Winners stand to qualify for funding from the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area AI Empowerment Fund as well as free office space at an AI incubator in Guangzhou.
Guangzhou, a manufacturing hub, is positioning itself as a technological centre in China.
Among the finalists were teams based outside China, including Delaware-based Markopolo, which has developed AI infrastructure for creating marketing campaign ideas and advertising copy based on customer data from e-commerce sites and emails.
Vidi Labs, a Hong Kong start-up, meanwhile, has designed a wearable for the elderly or visually-impaired named Seekr which converts visual information into real-time voice feedback, allowing users to navigate their surroundings independently and safely.
Both presented their technology remotely.