Indian-American Students Shine In Presidential AI Challenge

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Several Indian-American students were among the national champions honored at the White House after winning the inaugural Presidential AI Challenge, a nationwide competition that drew more than 20,000 participants.

Among the winners was a five-member team from Aldie, Virginia, whose project, “Friendzone Chatbot Bullying Prevention App,” won the Elementary School Track 2 category. The team included Aarna Jaiswal, Eshani Khatri, Riva Madda, Samhitha Pinnamareddy and Sanuli Rathnayake.

Another winning team included Viha Iyer, Arya Pratap and Shrimayi Shetty of NorthStar Middle School in Sammamish, Washington. Their project, “SkillUp,” won the Middle School Track 1 category.

In the high school division, Khandakar Mahin of Upper Darby Senior High School in Pennsylvania won the national title in Track 1 for his project, “Utilising Computer Vision for Hotel Room Identification in Criminal Investigations.” Organizers said Mahin will graduate this week and attend Harvard University in the fall.

First Lady Melania Trump praised the students and described them as America’s future innovators.

“It is wonderful to see this very impressive group of innovators at the White House. I’m proud that you represent the best of America. You are our future,” she said.

The Presidential AI Challenge attracted entries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Department of Defense schools overseas. According to the White House, winning projects addressed a range of challenges, including education, bullying prevention, criminal investigations, accessibility for visually impaired individuals, and urban development.

The First Lady said the competition was designed to encourage innovation and help young people explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence.

“Today is about opening doors. When new doors open, passions flow, courage blossoms, and dreams are realised. AI inspires,” she said.

Following the ceremony, participants attended a reception in the White House Rose Garden.(IANS)