Singapore Students Win TikTok TechJam, TikTok’s First Multi-Market Hackathon
TikTok on Thursday, 8 August hosted the grand finals of its first multi-market hackathon for tertiary students, TikTok TechJam, in Singapore.
More than a hundred student teams from universities across the country and Southeast Asia joined the programme to showcase their coding skills and build innovative solutions for challenges businesses are facing today.
In the end, Ete, a group of four students from Singapore, came out on top and took home the grand prize of US$10,000. The group’s solution, AnonymousAds, looks to address social media platforms' conundrum of balancing profits with user privacy. It provides a secure method for these platforms to serve targeted ads without comprising users’ privacy.
The proof of concept of AnonymousAd comes in the form of a search engine that leverages Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE), noise injection, and machine learning algorithms to deliver relevant, targeted ads based on fully encrypted user data.
“By demonstrating the effectiveness of AnonymousAds, we hope to redefine the relationship between user privacy and targeted advertising, showing that profit and privacy can coexist harmoniously,” the group wrote.
The group HoneyBadgers came in second in the programme. Their innovation, Honey Badger Sales Helper, is a client app for sales agents that can boost their efficiency during calls. The app first transcribes the speech of agents and customers in real-time. It then suggests the emotions and personality of the customer based on the transcription, so that agents can use that information and speak more effectively. After the call, the app also presents the agent a to-do list and summary for following up on the conversation, with convenient buttons to save or email the call details.
Meanwhile, AiSL came in third. This innovation uses the advanced capabilities of AI technology to inspire creativity among deaf TikTok creators. It turns videos with sign language into inclusive and exciting videos with auto-generated captions, voice-overs and even emojis.
"TikTok TechJam exemplifies our commitment to cultivating the next generation of tech innovators. By focusing on the development of creative, real-world business solutions, this programme not only equips students with critical industry skills but also ignites a deeper passion for technology. We believe it will prepare them to lead and excel in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Each and every single team showcased outstanding projects, and we are excited to see how their ingenuity will shape the future of tech in Singapore and Southeast Asia," said Teresa Tan, Director of Public Policy of TikTok Singapore and ASEAN.
TikTok said it aims to support the future leaders of the tech industry by hosting similar talent-nurturing initiatives like mentorship programmes and hands-on workshops, among others.
TikTok hosted the grand finals of its first multi-market hackathon for tertiary students, TikTok TechJam, in Singapore, where student teams showcased their innovative solutions to challenges businesses are facing today.
In the end, Ete, a group of four students from Singapore, came out on top and took home the grand prize of US$10,000.
The group’s solution, AnonymousAds, provides a secure method for social media platforms to serve targeted ads without comprising users’ privacy.