AI-powered projects spotlight social impact and cultural expression, empowering young creators to transform ideas into reality through innovative technologies
HONG KONG, Aug. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent Cloud successfully hosted the Hong Kong and Macau Demo Day of the 2026 “AI CAN DO IT” Tencent Cloud Game Development Hackathon, bringing together 10 outstanding finalist teams from across Hong Kong and Macau SARs to showcase innovative AI-powered projects. Covering themes such as social good, cultural expression, and narrative innovation, the projects demonstrated how the next generation of creators are leveraging AI to transform creative ideas into meaningful digital experiences and real-world solutions.
As one of Tencent Cloud’s developer challenge series, the “AI CAN DO IT” Hackathon encourages participants to utilize AI tools including CodeBuddy, WorkBuddy, and Miora to explore new forms of creation through games, animation, AI Agents, and other digital experiences. Centered around three core pillars, Social Good, Cultural Expression, and Narrative Innovation, the competition inspires participants to address societal challenges, promote cultural inheritance, and experiment with new approaches to storytelling through AI technologies.
This year’s competition spans multiple regions, including Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau SARs, and Southeast Asia, attracting more than 10,000 creators worldwide and generating over 1,000 innovative project submissions. Participants explored a broad range of topics, from supporting individuals with high-functioning autism and advancing silver-tech solutions for ageing populations to developing AI-powered games and immersive content experiences.
Hui Cai, Operations Lead of the Tencent Cloud Hackathon, said: “AI is rapidly becoming an essential creative partner for the next generation. Through the ‘AI CAN DO IT’ Hackathon, we hope to provide more young people with opportunities to access and apply advanced AI technologies, transforming ideas rooted in real-world needs and societal challenges into meaningful and impactful solutions. The creativity, execution capabilities, and interdisciplinary thinking demonstrated by the participating teams from Hong Kong and Macau have been truly impressive, highlighting the tremendous potential of young innovators in the AI era.”
The Hong Kong and Macau Demo Day featured 10 finalist teams whose projects reflected the growing convergence of AI technology and creative expression. Participants showcased how AI can empower creators from diverse backgrounds to develop meaningful experiences that address social needs, celebrate cultural heritage, and redefine digital storytelling.
Projects in the Social Good Category focused on addressing social issues such as support for individuals with high-functioning autism and fostering greater social inclusion. Teams competing in the Cultural Expression Category incorporated Chinese cultural elements into digital creations, exploring new possibilities for cultural preservation and innovation in the AI era. Meanwhile, the Narrative Innovation Category showcased interactive games and immersive experiences that demonstrated AI’s potential to reshape content creation and storytelling.
During the Demo Day, participating teams presented their project concepts, technical implementations, and creative outcomes to a panel of judges, sharing how AI tools enabled them to transform ideas into tangible products and experiences. Following a comprehensive evaluation process, the following three teams emerged as winners and will advance to represent Hong Kong and Macau at the Tencent Cloud Hackathon Global Finals, where they will compete and exchange ideas with outstanding developers from around the world:
- First Place: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – “Anchor”
- Second Place: The University of Hong Kong – “Walking in Poetry”
- Third Place: Public Division – “LOONG SEASON”
As AI technologies continue to evolve, the barriers to innovation and creation are rapidly lowering, enabling more young people to transform ideas into products, content, and services regardless of their technical backgrounds. Beyond a technology competition, the Tencent Cloud Hackathon serves as a platform where developers, designers, creators, and students can explore new opportunities in the AI-native era, unlocking fresh possibilities for creativity, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving. Through the initiative, Tencent Cloud also aims to promote its commitment to “Tech for Good,” encouraging young innovators to harness AI responsibly to address societal needs, preserve cultural values, and create positive impact through technology.
Looking ahead, Tencent Cloud will continue supporting young developers, creators, and innovators through educational partnerships, developer programs, and innovation challenges. By providing access to advanced AI tools, technical resources, and collaborative learning opportunities, Tencent Cloud remains committed to nurturing the next generation of AI talent and driving future innovation.
About Tencent Cloud
Tencent Cloud, one of the world’s leading cloud companies, is committed to creating innovative solutions to resolve real-world issues and enabling digital transformation for smart industries. Through our extensive global infrastructure, Tencent Cloud provides businesses across the globe with stable and secure industry-leading cloud products and services, leveraging technological advancements such as cloud computing, Big Data analytics, AI, IoT, and network security. It is our constant mission to meet the needs of industries across the board, including the fields of gaming, media and entertainment, finance, healthcare, property, retail, travel, and transportation.
