By: James Kon
On: 21 May 2026
In: Borneo Bulletin > National
Brunei Darussalam’s Team ∑HAI emerged as overall champion at the inaugural AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge 2026 held in conjunction with the ATxSummit 2026 in Singapore.
The team comprising Ummi Salwa Suhaimei and Hein Minn Tun @ Salman from Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSB HIS) at Universiti Brunei Darussalam secured the top spot with their AI-powered dementia care platform, Sahabat-Care.
According to the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC), the competition is a regional ideation challenge aimed at empowering youth across ASEAN to develop artificial intelligence (AI) solutions addressing social issues. It was organised by AI Singapore and the ASEAN Foundation, with support from Google.org and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) of Singapore, under the wider AI Ready ASEAN programme targeting AI literacy for 5.5 million people.
Held under the theme AI for an Inclusive and Sustainable ASEAN, the challenge received more than 600 submissions across all ASEAN Member States. After a rigorous selection process, 11 finalist teams were shortlisted across sectors including healthcare, education, social inclusion and agriculture.
Team ∑HAI was placed first, followed by Cambodia in second and Myanmar in third, with all finalists recognised for innovative solutions aligned with the competition’s focus on knowledge, skills development, scientific advancement and community resilience.
President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam presented the prizes during the Opening Gala Dinner of ATxSummit 2026 at Gardens by the Bay.
Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha, alongside ASEAN ministers, policymakers, industry leaders and technology stakeholders also attended.
The winning project, Sahabat-Care, was developed in response to the rising prevalence of dementia across ASEAN driven by ageing populations and longer life expectancy. The condition continues to place increasing pressure on families and healthcare systems, compounded by limited caregiver support and a lack of digital tools for early detection.
The platform applies multimodal AI technology, including speech, language, video and audio analysis, to generate longitudinal cognitive risk assessments. It also provides personalised bilingual caregiving guidance powered by large language models, alongside structured clinical summaries to support early intervention and ongoing monitoring.
