Solving Social Problems with AI Beyond Development (opens in new tab)
The first “SSAFY X Kakao Tech Bootcamp AI Hackathon” brought together 90 trainees from 12 teams to use AI for solving real social problems. Rather than focusing only on coding competition, the event emphasized public value, practical service prototypes, expert feedback, and collaboration across different training programs. It demonstrated that future developers need both technical ability and the capacity to work with others on meaningful problems. ## Connecting Kakao and Samsung’s Developer Programs - Held June 13–14 at Kakao’s AI Campus in Yongin. - Organized jointly by Kakao Tech Bootcamp and Samsung’s SSAFY program. - Participants came from two major digital-training initiatives supported by Korea’s K-Digital Training program. - The event aimed to create opportunities for collaboration and growth among future AI developers. ## Applying AI to Everyday Social Problems - Teams selected challenges from the government’s “Top 10 AI Projects for People’s Livelihoods.” - Topics included: - Small-business support - Voice-phishing prevention - Child and youth protection - Maritime safety - Over two intensive, sleepless days, teams: - Defined a specific social problem - Designed solutions from the user’s perspective - Built AI-powered service prototypes - The hackathon stressed that AI’s value depends not only on technical advancement, but also on how effectively it improves society. ## Practical Mentoring from Government and Industry - Officials from agencies including the National Police Agency, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Gender Equality and Family provided policy and field expertise. - Kakao developers delivered lectures and technical mentoring based on real-world service development. - Teams refined their ideas through questions, feedback, and discussions with experts. - This allowed trainees to connect classroom learning with actual policy and operational challenges. ## Collaboration Across Different Backgrounds - Kakao Tech Bootcamp and SSAFY use different educational approaches, giving participants varied experiences and strengths. - Teams worked with people they had not previously met and actively discussed how to incorporate AI into their products. - Participants discovered new perspectives and solutions by sharing their knowledge. - Many came to recognize communication and teamwork as essential skills alongside technical competence. ## Projects and the Future Developer Ecosystem - Five teams received awards after the final presentations. - The Ministry of Employment and Labor award went to “Golden Time” for **DRIFT**, an AI service supporting maritime rescue when communications are unavailable. - Kakao’s CEO award went to “SSAIKA” for **Mindam**, an AI-based civil complaint intake and processing service. - Other awards were presented by Samsung Electronics, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Korea Radio Promotion Association. - Although the total prize money was 15 million won, the article identifies hands-on experience solving social problems as the participants’ more important achievement. - Kakao has trained more than 660 digital professionals since joining the K-Digital Training initiative in 2022. The hackathon suggests that AI education should combine technical training with real-world projects, expert guidance, and cross-organizational collaboration. Kakao plans to expand these practical opportunities to support developers who can turn technology into social value.