Brunei Darussalam’s team ΣHAI has achieved a major regional milestone after emerging as overall champion at the inaugural AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge 2026, held in conjunction with ATxSummit 2026 in Singapore.
Represented by Ummi Salwa Suhaimei and Hein Minn Tun @ Salman from The Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSB HIS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam, the team secured first place with their innovative AI-powered dementia care platform, Sahabat-Care.
The AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge is a regional ideation competition aimed at empowering youths across Southeast Asia to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based solutions addressing social challenges.
Organised by AI Singapore and the ASEAN Foundation, with support from Google.org and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) of Singapore, the initiative is part of a broader programme to equip 5.5 million people with foundational AI skills.
Held under the theme “AI for an Inclusive and Sustainable ASEAN”, the competition attracted more than 600 submissions from across ASEAN Member States.
Following a rigorous selection process, 11 finalist projects were shortlisted, spanning sectors such as healthcare, education, social inclusion and agriculture.
Brunei Darussalam’s Team ΣHAI claimed the top spot, followed by Cambodia in second place and Myanmar in third. The winners were recognised for delivering innovative AI-driven solutions aligned with the challenge’s focus on advancing knowledge, strengthening communities and driving scientific progress.
The top three prizes were presented by His Excellency Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore, during the Opening Gala Dinner of ATxSummit 2026 at Gardens by the Bay.
Also present was Yang Berhormat Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications, alongside ASEAN Ministers, regional policymakers, industry leaders and technology stakeholders attending the summit.
Team ΣHAI’s winning project, Sahabat-Care, addresses the growing challenge of dementia across ASEAN, driven by ageing populations and increased life expectancy.
The platform leverages multimodal AI technologies—including speech, language, video and audio analysis—to generate cognitive risk assessments, provide personalised bilingual caregiving guidance powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), and produce structured clinical summaries to support early intervention and continuous monitoring.
In sharing the inspiration behind the project, Team ΣHAI said, “Through Sahabat-Care, we wanted to address the growing challenge of dementia detection and caregiver support in Southeast Asia. This platform has helped us explore how AI can support caregivers with more timely insights, personalised guidance and better decision-making for elderly care.”
The achievement highlights the growing capabilities of Brunei Darussalam’s youth in harnessing emerging technologies to drive meaningful innovation, while underscoring the importance of continued investment in digital development, research and future-ready talent for a more resilient and inclusive ASEAN.
THE BRUNEIAN|
