MSIT Hosts Season 3 of National AI Use Case Contest with 34 Million KRW in Total Prizes

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) is accepting submissions for Season 3 of the "National AI Use Case Contest" through October 31, 2026, aiming to uncover and share practical AI workflows across everyday life and workplaces. Designed with a zero-barrier entry model, the public competition is open to anyone who has applied AI tools or smartphone workflows in daily routines, without requiring programming or software engineering expertise.

Image source: X @nowlovepan / 과학기술정보통신부

With a total prize pool of 34 million KRW, the contest will recognize 36 winners across three tiers. The two Grand Prize recipients will be awarded official commendations from the Minister of Science and ICT, alongside 12 Excellence Awards and 22 Encouragement Awards.

Four Submission Tracks and Flexible Formats

The competition categorizes submissions into four dedicated tracks covering diverse everyday and professional scenarios:

• Daily Life: Applying AI to household budget tracking, personal schedules, hobbies, or daily routines
• Community Problem Solving: Addressing local neighborhood challenges, community welfare, or resident convenience through AI
• Education: Enhancing learning efficiency through AI study planning, language acquisition, or homework assistance
• Workplace: Boosting workplace productivity via draft report generation, data research, email summarization, or workflow automation

To maximize accessibility, participants can submit their entries as either written blog posts or short-form videos of up to one minute. Submissions created and edited entirely on a smartphone are fully eligible, eliminating the need for professional graphic design or video editing software.

Practical Problem-Solving Over Algorithmic Complexity

The primary evaluation criterion emphasizes practical utility and real-world impact rather than technical algorithm complexity or programming difficulty.

Participants do not need advanced prompt engineering techniques or custom fine-tuned models to compete. Tangible use cases—such as utilizing standard generative AI tools like ChatGPT to organize intricate monthly household finances or significantly cut drafting time for corporate documentation—are weighted heavily based on how effectively they solve everyday problems. The initiative seeks to normalize AI as an everyday utility accessible to the public rather than an exclusive domain reserved for specialized developers.

Timeline and Submission Guidelines

Entries must be submitted online through the official competition portal before the October 31, 2026 deadline.

• Submission Deadline: October 31, 2026
• Finalist Screening: November 2026
• Awards Ceremony: December 2026

All entries must conform to the submission formats and guidelines specified on the official contest platform (aichallenge4all.or.kr/competitions/case-contest).

Sources

• National AI Use Case Contest Official Website: Contest Overview and Submission Portal
• Community Announcement via X (@nowlovepan): National AI Use Case Contest Notice Post