AI hackathon opens in Suva to inspire young tech enthusiasts

Young people with an interest in technology now have the opportunity to learn how artificial intelligence (AI) is applied in real industry settings.

The AI Hackathon opened in Suva this week, bringing together students and IT professionals, with organisers saying the aim is to build confidence and practical skills among young participants.

The event ends on Thursday at 2pm. Those interested can visit the lecture theatre at the University of the South Pacific (USP), Laucala Campus, Suva.

Nazia Taylor, information technologies transformation leader.

Photo: Ronald Kumar

Information technologies transformation leader Nazia Taylor said the hackathon was based on aerospace-related problems but was open to anyone with an interest in AI.

“We need individuals who are analytical. We need individuals who can present. We need people who like to test,” Ms Taylor said.

The goal is to show participants how artificial intelligence can be used in real workplaces.

“Kids are learning Python but are not given the opportunity to see how it works in the real world,” she said.

Ms Taylor said her team would provided the technology, infrastructure and coaching needed for participants to gain hands-on experience.

“Individuals who participate get to see how it works and how people in the IT field in the United States solve problems,” she said.

The AI Hackathon intends to help students move beyond theory by understanding the pace and demands of global technology work.

“If they can keep up with that pace, they can be highly successful,” she said.

Ms Taylor, who is from Fiji, hopes to inspire local students and see that innovation can happen anywhere.

University of the South Pacific software engineering student Anav Chand.

Photo: Ronald Kumar

Anav Chand, a second-year software engineering student at the University of the South Pacific, feels the Honeywell AI Hackathon gave students a rare opportunity to understand how artificial intelligence is used in real industry settings.

“AI is very new here in Fiji. We see very few companies employing it,” he said, adding that most students only used tools such as ChatGPT for assignments and lacked exposure to deeper concepts.

“There’s another layer to it; the more in-depth stuff like machine learning and deep learning.

“My target is to see what it’s like for AI to be used in the industry. It’s a completely different thing to do it in a company, like building models from scratch and training them,” he said.

Mr Chand also supported the idea of introducing AI studies earlier in Fiji’s education system, saying a strong foundation at primary and secondary school level would help students succeed at university.

“Introducing AI into Fiji would benefit locals. It’ll be a massive opportunity for everyone,” he said, while considering a career in AI if more opportunities were made available locally.

“It’s a very growing field,” he said.

“If it comes to Fiji, it makes it easier for locals to get into it rather than going overseas.”

The hackathon continues through the week.