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AI fridges, virtual heritage trails and carbon bricks: Students show what the next generation of solutions could look like
At JPMorganChase’s annual GenerationTech challenge, over 200 Singapore students spent a day dreaming up practical tech innovations to climate change, sustainable living and poverty
The sixth edition of JPMorganChase’s annual GenerationTech programme brought together some 200 students from across Singapore to develop tech-driven solutions to real-world challenges.
PHOTO: JPMORGANCHASE
Last Friday, 200 students from secondary schools, junior colleges and the Institutes of Technical Education (ITE) across Singapore gathered at JPMorganChase’s technology centre in Changi to discover how technology can address some of the world’s most pressing problems.
The students were participating in GenerationTech, an annual one-day hackathon hosted by the bank that introduces young people to technology through hands-on problem-solving challenges.
Now in its sixth year in Singapore, the programme has nearly tripled in size. This year, participants were tasked with tackling three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Climate Action, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and No Poverty.
Working in small teams of six or seven, and guided by close to 100 mentors and volunteers from JPMorganChase, the youths brainstormed solutions to their assigned challenges.
Among the winning ideas was a plan to use virtual reality trails to spark interest in Singapore’s different heritage sites among the young.
Another winning group proposed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered app that scans refrigerator contents to provide nutritional advice to underprivileged groups accessing community kitchens run by charitable organisations.
A third team tackled industrial emissions, suggesting a process to mix captured carbon dioxide with a mineral solution to produce construction materials like bricks and tiles. While carbon capture is increasingly common in developed economies, much of the gas is currently stored rather than repurposed.
Students leapt for joy when their idea – to use virtual reality trails to preserve Singapore’s heritage sites – was announced as one of the three winners.
PHOTO: JPMORGANCHASE
A new generation of problem solvers
Mr Denver Scott, JPMorganChase’s Head of Infrastructure Platforms for Asia Pacific and Singapore Technology Center Lead, described the ideas as “exceptional”.
When speaking to the participants, he said: “I hope the challenge of building solutions to real-world problems stretched your thinking, strengthened your teamwork, and most importantly, proved that curiosity and a willingness to think outside the box can move the needle in meaningful ways.”
The programme aims to inspire more youths to become interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), in line with growing the STEM talent pool for Singapore’s future, said Ms Irene Lim, JPMorganChase’s Asia Pacific Group Technology Chief of Staff and Singapore Technology Center Manager.
Where curiosity meets real-world problem-solving
Whether they are seasoned participants or trying it for the first time, these students reflect on how GenerationTech helped them deepen their interests and see how technology can make a difference.
Discovering new possibilities in science
For second-time participant Celeste Jong (first from right), 15, it was the GenerationTech programme that sparked her interest in doing good through tech.
PHOTO: JPMORGANCHASE
Celeste Jong, 15, credits her debut at last year’s GenerationTech as the “catalyst” that sparked her interest in using tech to drive social impact, turning her into a regular participant in many other tech competitions.
At this year’s event, the Secondary 4 student from Cedar Girls’ Secondary School, who hopes to become a doctor when she grows up, worked with her team on a challenge to optimise current farming systems, under the United Nations goal of Sustainable Cities and Communities.
She said her fascination with artificial intelligence (AI) first drew her to the sciences. Noting that AI models primarily rely on statistical probabilities to predict and generate sequences, she said: “The fact that such mechanical processes are able to create such realistic replications of a living mind is surreal, and it’s what sparked my interest in STEM.”
From coding to problem-solving
13-year-old Ziyang Zhou (seated, foreground), a first-time participant, worked with his team on a solution to turn waste into useful products, reducing reliance on landfills.
PHOTO: JPMORGANCHASE
Ziyang Zhou, 13, a Secondary 2 pupil at Gan Eng Seng School, developed an interest in computing during his primary school days. He has written a programme to encrypt text messages and he enjoys creating visuals using hashtags.
At this year’s GenerationTech, he and his team worked on a solution to convert waste into useful products such as biofuels – an approach that could reduce reliance on landfills – under the United Nations goal of Sustainable Cities and Communities.
He signed up for the programme to hone his technical skills and learn to collaborate effectively with a team under time pressure. For Ziyang, the appeal of the field goes beyond the technical execution.
“Technology is not only about writing code, but about discovering and solving real-world problems through the development of new tools,” he said.
Though he is a seasoned coder, Ziyang noted that this is a new format for him. “This is my first hackathon-style programme,” he added.
Back again to build solutions that matter
Inika Jha (seated, middle), 17, said the collaborative experience keeps her coming back to GenerationTech each year. This is her fourth year participating in the programme.
PHOTO: JPMORGANCHASE
Now a four-time veteran and past winner of GenerationTech, 17-year-old Inika Jha said she kept coming back for the “buzz” of working with other teenagers who share her interest in tech.
At this year’s challenge, she and her team developed a solution aimed at helping underprivileged communities gain free and improved access to education – aligned with the United Nations goal of No Poverty.
“What stuck with me most were the friendships I made and the excitement of designing an app together. The whole experience from brainstorming ideas to the fun activities like the photo booth and quizzes made it something I wanted to be part of again,” said the first-year student at St Andrew’s Junior College.
Inika hopes to work in the aerospace or aeronautics field in the future.
“Designing rockets and being involved in space exploration has been a dream of mine since I was young. Contributing to the technology that makes space exploration possible would be incredibly exciting,” she said.
Using tech to tackle everyday challenges
17-year-old Natasha Daud (first from left), another first-time participant, hopes to use technology to develop solutions that can help prevent scams and improve lives.
PHOTO: JPMORGANCHASE
Natasha Daud, 17, a first-year Cyber & Networking Security student at ITE College East, signed up for GenerationTech after hearing that it was a fun event centred on technology and innovation.
She is fond of coding and is familiar with different tools such as Python, a programming language, and Cisco Packet Tracer, a simulation tool used by the students during the challenge.
She believes tech can play a role in addressing challenges close to home, such as combating scams that prey on the elderly and less educated.
After someone close to her was scammed by a person posing as an employee of his company, she became more determined to explore how technology could be used to prevent such incidents.
“In the future, I hope to work in a tech-related field where I can use my skills to create useful solutions and help improve people’s lives,” she said.
(From left) JPMorganChase’s Head of Infrastructure Platforms for Asia Pacific and Singapore Technology Center Lead Denver Scott, JPMorganChase’s Asia Pacific Group Technology Chief of Staff and Singapore Technology Center Manager Irene Lim and Senior Minister of State for Transport and National Development Sun Xueling taking a selfie with the participants during a break in the programme.
PHOTO: JPMORGANCHASE
Guest-of-honour Ms Sun Xueling, Senior Minister of State for Transport and National Development, said it is important that programmes like GenerationTech allow students to hone their technical and soft skills as they use tech to solve real-world problems.
“GenerationTech emphasises that technology can be used for social good,” she said. “This is amplified through the event’s selection of UN sustainable development goals as issues for the students to solve, using technology.”
Explore tech roles at JPMorganChase here.
