KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 – The Faculty of Artificial Intelligence (FAI), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) successfully organised the AI Showcase @ FAI Competition 2026. This inaugural artificial intelligence (AI) exhibition competition was designed to provide a platform for staff and students to showcase their research outputs, projects, and innovations in the field of artificial intelligence.

The programme also received support from the SUSTAIN-AI Research Programme under the project “Establishing A Sustainable and Responsible AI Research Hub (SUSTAIN-AI): UK-Malaysia-ASEAN Twin-Lab Initiative”, a collaboration between UTM, the University of York (UoY), United Kingdom, and Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), with support from the British Council.

The AI Showcase @ FAI Competition 2026 received highly encouraging participation, involving 43 teams across FAI staff, postgraduate students, and undergraduate students categories. In total, the programme engaged more than 100 students and approximately 60 staff members, reflecting strong interest within the FAI community in the development and application of AI technologies.

One of the key highlights was the AI Tech Tarik Sharing Session, featuring two researchers from the Royal Belum–Temengor Research Group (RB-T RG). Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Shamsul Sarip discussed the application of AI in renewable energy research, while Sr. Dr. Rozaimi Che Hassan shared insights on the use of acoustic sonar technology and AI in marine mapping and environmental conservation.

The programme also featured a project evaluation session, providing participants with the opportunity to present their ideas, prototypes, and research outcomes to a panel of judges.

The showcased projects covered a wide range of AI applications and demonstrated creativity, problem-solving skills, and strong potential for industrial and societal impact.

In addition, participants were exposed to innovation and commercialisation pathways through the ICC Sharing Session delivered by Ts. Dr. Norhayati Mohamed Noor, Strategic Officer of the UTM Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (ICC).

The session provided insights into research commercialisation pathways and opportunities to advance innovations to higher levels. To further engage participants, an interactive quiz session was held and received enthusiastic participation from attendees.

The programme was further honoured by the presence of the UTM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ts. Dr. Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim, and the UTM Registrar, Dato’ Dr. Mohd Sharil Abdullah, who visited the exhibition booths to observe AI innovations developed by FAI members.

Also present were the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BH Telecom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Amel Kovačević and delegates from the UoY, namely Dr. Pengcheng Liu and Dr. Shibao Yang. Their presence opened valuable opportunities for knowledge exchange and strategic international collaboration in artificial intelligence.

In the afternoon, the programme continued with the AI for Content Generation Showcase at Dewan Azman Hashim, UTM Kuala Lumpur, followed by the prize-giving ceremony and closing ceremony to recognise outstanding projects in terms of innovation, creativity, and impact potential.

In her closing remarks, FAI Deputy Dean (Research, Innovation and Development), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roslina Ibrahim expressed her appreciation to all participants, judges, organising committee members, and collaborators who contributed to the success of the programme.

She described the AI Showcase @ FAI Competition 2026 as an important platform in fostering a culture of innovation, creativity, and practical AI application among staff and students.

The organisation of this programme reflects FAI’s continuous commitment to strengthening the AI research and innovation ecosystem, in line with the UTM ASCEND 2030 aspirations and the national AI Nation 2030 agenda.

Beyond being a mere exhibition platform, the event serves as a catalyst for stronger academia–industry collaboration at the international level towards the development of responsible, sustainable, and high-impact AI technologies for society.

Authors: Hani Huwaina Mohd Akipi and Dr. Mohd Azri Mohd Izhar