This year's standout feature is that top teams will gain access to real-world datasets, collaborate directly with Viettel experts, and develop AI solutions for actual business and operational challenges.
    |
 |
|
Vu Thi Mai, Human Resource Director at Viettel Group, speaks at the event. |
Addressing the event, Vu Thi Mai, Human Resource Director at Viettel Group, said that AI creates real value only when it is applied to real-world problems, powered by real-world data, and deployed under real operational requirements. She emphasized that through Viettel AI Race 2026, Viettel hopes to create more opportunities for the technology community to innovate, experiment, and develop solutions that can be successfully applied in practice.
The competition includes three challenge tracks: BTS Digital Twin requiring 3D digital twin reconstruction in the field of computer vision; LLM Inference Optimization optimizing the deployment and inference efficiency of large language models - one of the most critical challenges in deploying generative AI at scale; and Ontological Reasoning in Medical Knowledge Retrieval focusing on medical knowledge retrieval and reasoning within the field of natural language processing.
Open to students, engineers, researchers, and professionals from Vietnam and abroad, teams may consist of up to three members.
The technical committee comprises Viettel AI experts with advisory support from experienced associate professors, PhD researchers specializing in AI and computer science from Vietnam’s leading universities and academies, and domestic and international partners. They will design the challenges, evaluate submissions, and mentor participants throughout the competition.
The total prize pool is VND 780 million, with each track awarding one first (VND 200 million) and three consolation prizes (VND 20 million each).
The competition consists of three stages, namely the Online Preliminary Round (July 2-30) during which teams train models and submit solutions; the Hackathon Semifinal (August 17-19, Hanoi) with top 24 teams receiving access to real-world data and work with Viettel experts to refine their solutions; and the Final Round (September 9-10) in which the top 12 teams will present and defend their solutions before the judging panel.
The awards ceremony is slated for September 11, 2026.
Translated by Mai Huong