Children at the Center – Technology as a Tool – The Future Starts Today
Hanoi, May 20, 2025 – The Closing Ceremony and Award Announcement of the “AI for Good Vietnam 2025” competition took place in an atmosphere filled with solemnity and inspiration. The event marked the maturation of a generation of Vietnamese students who are ready to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address social issues for a more inclusive, sustainable, and compassionate future.
AI for Good Vietnam 2025 is the first-ever AI for Good competition in Vietnam (Made in Vietnam). This educational platform is open to students across all three school levels nationwide, aiming to apply AI to solve real-world problems and contribute to sustainable development. The competition was initiated and organized by the Management and Sustainable Development Institute (MSD United Way Vietnam) and InterEdu Education Organization, in collaboration with the Child Rights Governance Network (CRG) and the Leave No One Behind Partnership (LNOB).
The event was supported by major sponsors including: the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Gold Sponsor), TikTok Vietnam (Venue and Media Sponsor), IIG Vietnam, Go Fly Vietnam, SCS Cybersecurity, and media and program partners such as Microsoft Vietnam, CRG, Phan Huy Chu High School – Dong Da, Zodiac Clarity, and Skyline Education System.
🌟 AI – A Tool to Create a Better World
The competition attracted nearly 900 teams from 48 provinces and cities, with almost 450 eligible submissions tackling social issues such as mental health, gender equality, environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation, and supporting vulnerable groups. Forty-five teams were selected for the National Final round across the three categories: Primary, Secondary, and High School. The top five teams in each track competed in the National Final on May 10, 2025, presenting and defending their ideas directly before the judging panel.
Projects presented this year showed exceptional creativity and the ability to apply AI to solve social issues, including disability support, elder care, personalized education, waste recycling, cultural heritage preservation, and mental health care. Several ideas were assessed as having practical potential to be piloted immediately after the competition.
The Closing Ceremony was not only a time to reflect on the most significant moments of the competition but also to honor the creativity and commitment of students to the values they believe in.
Ms. Nguyen Phuong Linh, Executive Director of MSD United Way Vietnam, emotionally shared in her keynote speech: “AI is no longer the goal. It has become a tool – for compassion, for connection, for empowerment. Organizing this competition has brought us moments of amazement, pride, and emotion. What moved me the most was not the results or statistics, but the process through which students reasoned, explored, and used technology to change the world around them. From projects on repurposing everyday items, detecting and reducing verbal abuse, improving mental health, enabling education access for children with disabilities, to early disaster warnings and heritage preservation – every idea, big or small, is deeply humanistic. For these students, technology is not the end, but the means to a better life and world. We’ve seen nearly 900 such journeys and nearly 450 ideas take shape from these young changemakers. This is the journey of creativity – of kindness – of responsible and compassionate thinking.”
She added: “We are living in an age where technology advances by the minute. But people remain at the center. Students are the future innovation workforce – those who shape kindness and responsibility. AI can learn fast – but only humans can teach it the values that truly matter. Education is the key – to ensure that no young person is left behind, and all are empowered to lead.”
Congratulating the competition, Mr. Le Toan Thang, Director of Vietnam National Startup Support Center (NSSC), Techfest Organizing Committee, Ministry of Science and Technology, stated: “AI for Good is not merely a tech competition – it is an incubator where digital citizens are nurtured through creativity, responsibility, and compassion. In a time when our country needs a young, innovative force, it is extremely positive to see students from primary to high school using AI to tackle social issues. They are not only technically talented – they are thoughtful, visionary, and eager to contribute. That’s what we value most. I look forward to seeing this competition thrive in the coming years.”
Ms. Fleur Gribnau, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Vietnam, also offered congratulations: “We believe that digitalization is not only about innovation – it is about inclusion. The AI for Good competition does not simply teach coding – it teaches students to use technology creatively, responsibly, and for the common good. From climate to culture, from education to health, Vietnamese students have demonstrated they can be compassionate tech leaders of the future. That’s why we are proud to support this program.”
Nguyen Hong Minh, COO of InterEdu and Head of the Organizing Committee, shared: “With our years-long aspiration to provide AI learning opportunities for Vietnamese students, we’ve received great support from organizations, schools, teachers, parents, and experts. Especially, we were encouraged by Provincial Departments of Education and Training who issued official letters promoting participation in the competition. That the contest reached 48 provinces, including mountainous and rural areas, proves its relevance and necessity in Vietnam’s education system. We are committed to maintaining professionalism, transparency, and child-centered values to create inspiring and responsible playgrounds for students.”
🏆 Award-Winning Projects
Primary School Track
🥇 First Prize: AI Wings 1 – Nguyen Sieu Primary School (Hanoi) – Trash to Treasure: An intelligent solution applying computer vision and AI-based suggestions to identify, sort, and creatively recycle school waste. The team’s slogan “AI for Environment – Promoting Green Education” reflects their commitment to sustainability.
🥈 Second Prize: EDS.ECO.NAUGHTY – Edison Ecopark Integrated School (Hung Yen) – Calm Cloud: An AI-powered chatbot integrated with NLP and emotion recognition to support students’ mental well-being by helping them self-manage emotions and reduce stress.
🥉 Third Prize: EDS_AK_4A1_4 ANH EM – Edison An Khanh School – VoiceMate AR: A creative solution combining AR glasses, sign language gloves, and AI voice/emotion recognition to support communication for deaf, mute, and speech-impaired users.
🌱 Promising Awards:
First Prize of Primary School Track
Secondary School Track
🥇 First Prize: Galleco – Olympia Schools (Hanoi) – Eatkleen: A computer vision and AI solution using OCR and real-time data to detect near-expiry foods and suggest recipes, helping reduce food waste.
🥈 Second Prize: VN Techgirls – Reigate Grammar School & Ngoi Sao School – Lumen: An AI application using YOLOv9 and text-to-speech to help visually impaired people navigate public transportation independently.
🥉 Third Prize: Blink – Edison An Khanh – Autism Early Detection: Using AI to analyze behavior, drawings, handwriting speed, and language to support early screening and connection to mental health professionals.
🌱 Promising Awards:
First Prize of Secondary School Track
High School Track
🥇 First Prize: Chu Van An High School & Phan Huy Chu – Dong Da – HOMI: An emotional AI assistant supporting intergenerational communication in families. Using emotion and behavior analysis, HOMI recommends appropriate dialogue and bonding activities.
🥈 Second Prize: AI AGING CARE – Da Nang – AI assistant platform for the elderly, integrating voice interaction, personalized AI, and wearable/robotic technology for physical and mental care.
🥉 Third Prize: TQB – ExMem – Olympia Schools – Memory Assistant for Alzheimer’s Patients: AI device combining facial recognition, speech-to-text, and memory archive playback to support seniors in reconnecting with loved ones and recalling memories.
🌱 Promising Awards:
First Prize of High School Track
🎓 Special Awards