By: Farhana Hamid and Iqmal Yazid
Kuala Lumpur, July 19 – Four Diploma in English students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) have clinched the champion title at the National AI Competition by Sunway University and Hyperbyte AI, taking home the prize money in a victory that showcases creativity, teamwork, and the future of digital literacies.
The winning team, proudly named AI Avengers, consists of Raymond Low Kai Ming, Angela Shri Pinto, Vishalini Kobu, and Yuganthini Gunasegaran. Their task? To create a piece of art using AI tools under the theme “Diversity.”
But this wasn’t just about clicking a button for pretty images. Over two months of preparation, brainstorming, and experimenting with platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini, the team explored how AI interprets human ideas on culture, identity, and diversity, refining outputs until they captured the spirit of the theme with a creative and meaningful piece that impressed the judges.
“We were shocked with the announcement because we didn’t expect that we would win, especially seeing so many amazing teams giving their best.
“We were already proud of being in the top 10, so when they announced us as the winners, we were caught off guard and so happy,” AI Avengers said.
Their journey began simply. While working on another project, the Gamify Grammar 2.0 Program, their group theme was “Avengers.” When it was time to register for the AI competition, they decided to keep the energy alive.
“During registration, we were also working on Gamify Grammar, so we just decided to use ‘Avengers’ as our name and added ‘AI’ for this competition. We honestly didn’t think much about it since we joined just for fun,”
Daniel Boo Wei Ern, the team’s advisor, played a key role in guiding the team while allowing their creativity to take the lead.
“I periodically examined their work and gave suggestions while letting them make the final decisions to ensure their identity shines. The turning point was when I told them their artwork was too ordinary, challenging them with, ‘How do you think you can make things more unique?’ They used symbolism and crafted the winning piece because they were receptive and teachable,”
He added, “May they retain their interest in exploring AI, expand their skills, and remain prepared for the future. I also hope this encourages other UPSI students to break out of their shells and venture into AI and technology.”
Tan Hooi Syn, the course lecturer, encouraged students to participate in the competition, aligning it with the Digital Literacies course.
“The dean of The Faculty Of Languages And Communication, Professor Madya Dr. Mazura @ Mastura binti Muhammad mentioned including AI in our classes, so I studied competitions like this and we sent them to the AI workshops so students could learn how to generate art that fits a theme,” Tan Hooi Syn said.
She acknowledged the challenges faced by the team, particularly in balancing studies and finals while preparing for the competition.
“The main challenge was generating the right prompts for the AI to produce images that matched their vision. My advice for future participants, don’t be afraid to try. Go all out. It could be something new, or something people disagree on, like AI, but the important part is to try,” Tan Hooi Syn said.
The victory at Sunway University is not just a trophy for AI Avengers, but it is a testament to how language students can embrace technology, creativity, and critical thinking to shape the future.
As the team’s journey shows, the future belongs to those who dare to explore and who are, as Sia’s song fittingly puts it, unstoppable.