The winners of the first “DataRace” competition have been awarded
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The winners of “DataRace”’s first competition have been honored
The results of the first competition organized through the “DataRace” platform, created by the National Artificial Intelligence Center (MSİM), one of AZCON Holding’s companies, were announced at an official awards ceremony.
Held in partnership with “Apar,” the competition featured more than 300 artificial intelligence approaches submitted to address a real-world business challenge. Participants who achieved the highest scores were presented with awards.
Speaking at the event, Ibrahim Suleymanov, Chief Product Owner at the National Artificial Intelligence Center, said that one of the main objectives behind the creation of “DataRace” was to provide young people and professionals with opportunities to work with real data across various fields, while also engaging local talent in solving companies’ data-driven business challenges.
He noted that the platform creates new opportunities to strengthen Azerbaijan’s artificial intelligence ecosystem, identify local talent, and establish cooperation between talented professionals and companies. Suleymanov called on companies to present their real business challenges and datasets through “DataRace.”
Ozcan Hasanov, Product Owner for Artificial Intelligence at the National Artificial Intelligence Center, said that “DataRace” was established in accordance with Article 8.3 of Azerbaijan’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy. During the development of the platform, international practices were studied, including the operations of global platforms that organize artificial intelligence and data science competitions.
According to him, more than 100 companies representing over 10 sectors were consulted as part of the project. The business problem for the first competition was identified through discussions with “Apar” and focused on classifying user feedback using artificial intelligence.
The data provided for the competition was made available to participants after being cleansed of personal, confidential, and strategic information. Participants developed their own artificial intelligence models based on the datasets and submitted their results through the platform. The models were evaluated using an automated assessment system.
O.Hasanov said that the first competition lasted 20 days. More than 900 people registered on the platform, while over 630 participants took part in the competition. During the competition, participants exchanged knowledge and experience on more than 50 topics through the platform’s discussion forums.
Ulvan Aliyev, Chief Commercial Officer at the National Artificial Intelligence Center, said in his speech that “DataRace” would not be limited to the IT sector. According to him, the platform can be used to develop artificial intelligence models for addressing real-world challenges in transportation, manufacturing, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, education, and other fields.
He noted that potential business challenges that could be addressed through the “DataRace” format include predicting delivery times and optimizing routes in transportation, detecting phishing attacks in cybersecurity, and identifying potential pipeline leaks in critical infrastructure at an early stage.
Zohrab Rzazade, Chief Adviser of the Digital Development and Innovation Department at the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, described “DataRace” as a bridge between companies and local talent.
He said the platform gives talented professionals an opportunity to work with real data, while companies can engage skilled specialists to solve their business challenges. According to Rzazade, the participation of new companies in the next stage could further expand the scope of “DataRace.”
Fakhri Huseynov, Head of the Enterprise Architecture Division of AZCON Holding’s Digital Transformation Department, also highlighted the role of data in modern management.
“Data is not the future; data is already our present,” F.Huseynov said, emphasizing that in modern business, decision-making based on the analysis of large volumes of information is becoming increasingly important.
According to him, “DataRace” enables the application of theoretical knowledge to the needs of the real sector, the generation of valuable business insights from previously unused data, and the acquisition of practical experience by young professionals through work on real-world projects.
F.Huseynov said that AZCON Holding supports the initiative of the National Artificial Intelligence Center and noted that there are opportunities to develop new solutions together with participants in the future, based on data from companies within the holding.
At the end of the event, the participants who achieved the highest results in the first “DataRace” competition were presented with awards.
In the next stage of “DataRace,” new competitions based on real-world challenges from various sectors are planned, along with an expansion of partnership opportunities. Through these initiatives, the platform will continue contributing to the development of the practical skills of artificial intelligence talent and the creation of new approaches to solving real-world sectoral challenges.
Source of the news: https://az.trend.az/business/it/4218556.html
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