SK Telecom said on the 19th that TECH4GOOD, a hackathon it held with Hana Financial Group under the theme of "AI services for an inclusive future," wrapped up successfully.
The event was part of the AI talent development programs run by the two companies and took place from the 15th to the 16th at the SK Telecom HR Development Center in Icheon, Gyeonggi. A total of 115 people participated, including 61 members of the ninth cohort of SK Telecom's youth AI education program "FLY AI Challenger" and 54 participants in Hana Financial Group's "Hana Youth Financial Talent Development Project."
Participants developed services including: ▲ services to support vulnerable groups and build a sustainable society ▲ AI services for the digitally marginalized ▲ finance-telecom convergence environmental, social and governance (ESG) services. Working-level developers from SK Telecom joined as mentors to support technology implementation and service development.
The grand prize went to Team "T1," which developed customized AI fairy tales and discipline services that reflect a child's experiences. Team "Haemul Pajeon," which showcased a service that tells fairy tales in the voice of a parent with pronunciation difficulties, and Team "Sibiganji," which converted stock price information into auditory and tactile information for people with visual impairments, received the top excellence award. The grand prize team received 3 million won, and each top excellence award team received 2 million won, for a total prize pool of 10 million won.
SK Telecom and Hana Financial Group have jointly operated a hackathon to foster AI talent since 2023. This year marked the third event. SK Telecom has run FLY AI Challenger, an AI education program for youth, since 2022.
Eom Jong-hwan, head of sustainability management at SK Telecom, said, "This hackathon was a time when we confirmed together the potential to create a better society with AI technology," and added, "We will continue working to spread the social value created by AI."