Hong Leong Bank (“HLB”) organised Malaysia’s inaugural Generative AI-themed hackathon, marking the successful conclusion of the sixth edition of ‘HLB Can You Hack It.’
With 90 teams participating, including students, fresh graduates, and professionals, the event aimed to foster creativity and talent development in aspiring developers and innovators.
The hackathon showcased 340 participants, with over 50% being undergraduates from across Malaysia. Focused on ‘Unleashing the Potential of Generative AI’ in the financial sector, teams leveraged generative AI software to enhance customer and workplace experiences, utilizing Hong Leong Bank as a case study.
Top Honors for Innovative AI Solutions
Out of the ten exceptional projects that reached the Grand Finals, Team Intellibank, comprising university students, claimed the championship.
Their AI-powered end-to-end employee onboarding solution for new hires and customer-facing staff earned them the top spot and a prize of RM10,000.
According to HLB CEO and Group Managing Director, Kevin Lam, the hackathon aligns with the bank’s values, promoting a culture of innovation and integrating cutting-edge technology. He expressed the bank’s commitment to providing opportunities for young minds to address real-world challenges.
HLB Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, Shailesh Grover, highlighted the hackathons as a vital platform for the next generation to refine their skills and network within the industry. Recognising the lack of competitive innovation-based programs in the financial sector, HLB introduced ‘Can You Hack It’ in 2018.
Diverse Solutions and Industry Collaboration
Team BankingGPT secured the first runners-up position, earning RM5,000 for their AI model tailored for ESG reporting. Teams FeatureGenerator, Megaminds, and Revolab tied for second runners-up, each winning RM2,500. Their projects ranged from AI-driven gamified learning and personalised onboarding to automated credit evaluation processes.
HLB’s annual hackathon, in collaboration with partners including Asia School of Business, Antler, Sunway iLabs, Cradle, MyDIGITAL Corporation, Amazon Web Services, and PayNet, provided mentorship and platforms for teams to develop and test their prototypes.
