The Sandbox and Animoca Brands Host $10,000 AI Competition in Hong Kong

A development competition aimed at solving creator issues with AI agents will take place in Hong Kong.

The Sandbox and Animoca Brands announced the Creative Minds Jam #1, Hong Kong, a four-week event for student developers starting on July 23. The total prize pool is $10,000. Participants will develop creator-centric experiences using the always-on agent-based AI platform Minds by Animoca Brands. OpenCampus will participate as the official community partner.

The theme of this competition is "Build What Creators Need Next," encouraging participants to explore how agent-based AI can transform digital experiences. They will also propose solutions to current issues faced by creators and the creator economy, including content discoverability and work efficiency.

Winners will also be considered for the Minds investment program, which has a funding allocation of up to $10 million. Final participation will be determined by the program's investment committee approval.

Submissions will open on July 28, with the final showcase event scheduled for early September. The competition is open to any student builder or developer, and no prior AI experience is required. Participants can use any tools they wish, but the Minds agent must be a core element of their submissions.

Minds is an always-on AI agent platform designed to reduce complexity while providing control and customization for both developers and general users. Users can deploy and direct Minds, an independent always-on AI agent, without managing local servers or hardware and software.

OpenCampus will support participants for four weeks as the official community partner. Weekly workshops will cover core concepts of Minds, mentor-led sessions, and presentation times. Open office hours will also be available for teams to discuss ideas and refine submissions. Participants will have access to a dedicated OpenCampus community hub throughout the competition.

OpenCampus has been building an EDU chain developer ecosystem through boot camps and incubation programs over the past 18 months. They also operate a community of 1,000 AI creators, providing relevant experience for this competition.

Creative Minds Jam #1 is also supported by experts and leaders in the education sector, including HKIIT, HKDI, Index Academy, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Design School, and HKDA. Industry partners are also stepping up to provide support.

Entries will be evaluated based on creativity, technical implementation, user experience, and the innovativeness of using agent-based AI. The judging panel will consist of individuals from various fields, including educational technology and the creative industry.

Sebastien Borget, co-founder and ambassador of The Sandbox, stated, "I am excited that Creative Minds Jam #1 will address real creator issues while learning new tools and moving towards the agent-based web." He added, "Hong Kong has been a vibrant city where the pace of technology adoption meets creativity. This competition offers students and creators, regardless of their technical background, the opportunity to explore how agent-based AI can transform digital experiences."

Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, remarked, "AI agents signify a shift from tools requiring technical expertise to collaborators that adapt to users." He explained, "In the creator economy, this means helping more people transition their ideas into content experiences and businesses more quickly and flexibly. Creative Minds Jam #1 invites students and creators in Hong Kong to experiment with new creative levers and participate in shaping the future of the agent-based web."

Mohamed Ezzeldin, head of Animoca Labs, the innovation team developing Minds, noted, "One of the biggest opportunities of the agent-based web is enabling more people to build, experiment, and implement new ideas easily." He stated, "Creative Minds Jam #1 provides an opportunity to broaden accessibility, allowing student creators and developers to utilize Minds with familiar interfaces and accessible tools. Given that Hong Kong has been a place where creativity and technology have moved rapidly, I look forward to seeing this generation of builders transform bold ideas into tangible experiences and solutions using this tool."

Ancy Gray, creative director and founder of Axis Grayfox, emphasized, "AI agents will significantly change the creator economy, empowering creators to expand their creativity and open entirely new ways of value creation." He stressed, "Those who embrace AI today will contribute to shaping the future of the digital economy."

Applications for Creative Minds Jam #1 will open on July 28. Pre-registration can be done on the DoraHacks Creative Minds page at https://dorahacks.io/hackathon/creativeminds/details.

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