Tencent Cloud Wraps Hong Kong And Macau Demo Day For AI-Focused Hackathon

Tencent Cloud has concluded the Hong Kong and Macau Demo Day of its 2026 “AI CAN DO IT” Game Development Hackathon, with ten finalist teams presenting AI-powered projects spanning social impact, cultural heritage and interactive storytelling.

Three winning teams will now advance to represent Hong Kong and Macau at the Tencent Cloud Hackathon Global Finals, where they will compete against developers from other regions.

The competition, which runs across Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia, attracted more than 10,000 creators globally and generated over 1,000 project submissions this year.

The winners

First place went to a team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology for a project called “Anchor.” Second place was awarded to a University of Hong Kong team for “Walking in Poetry,” and third place went to a team from the public division for “LOONG SEASON.”

Each winning team will represent the region at the global finals, competing alongside developers from across the broader competition.

Social impact and cultural themes

The hackathon is structured around three categories: Social Good, Cultural Expression and Narrative Innovation. Participants were encouraged to use Tencent Cloud’s AI tools, including CodeBuddy, WorkBuddy and Miora, to build games, animations, AI agents and other digital experiences.

Projects in the Social Good category addressed issues such as support for individuals with high-functioning autism and technology solutions for ageing populations. The Cultural Expression category saw teams incorporate Chinese cultural elements into digital creations, exploring approaches to cultural preservation using AI. Narrative Innovation entries focused on interactive games and immersive experiences that use AI to reshape content creation and storytelling.

Operations Lead of the Tencent Cloud Hackathon, Hui Cai, described AI as an increasingly important creative tool for younger developers.

“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,” Cai explained.

“The creativity, execution capabilities and interdisciplinary thinking demonstrated by the participating teams from Hong Kong and Macau have been impressive, highlighting the potential of young innovators in the AI era.”

Lowering the barriers to creation

The hackathon is part of Tencent Cloud’s broader developer challenge series, designed to give participants with varying levels of technical experience access to AI tools for building functional products.

During the Demo Day, teams presented their project concepts, technical implementations and creative outcomes to a panel of judges, explaining how AI tools helped them move from ideas to working prototypes.

The competition positions itself as a platform for developers, designers, creators and students to explore what is possible with AI-native development, rather than as a purely technical contest.

Tencent Cloud indicated it would continue to support young developers and creators through educational partnerships, developer programs and innovation challenges, providing access to AI tools and technical resources.

Last Updated on August 19, 2026 by Nick Ross