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If your AI project is producing a documented benefit for people or communities, you can enter the third Mint All About AI Tech4Good Awards. Applications are open to projects from India, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, and entries close on October 25, 2026.
Key dates and who can enter
HT Media Group’s Mint organises the awards with Salesforce sponsorship. The 2026 edition opened applications on September 25, 2026. The awards night and summit are scheduled for November 13, 2026.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | September 25, 2026 |
| Entry deadline | October 25, 2026 |
| Awards night and summit | November 13, 2026 |
The 2026 geographic scope covers India, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The programme began in India in 2024, expanded into South-East Asia in 2025 and added Sri Lanka for this edition.
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Categories and recognition themes
Entries are assessed across six impact themes, with Gold and Silver winners in each category:
#1 Best Overall
- All-in-One AI Learning Lab Powered by Raspberry Pi & Multi-LLMs. Turn Raspberry Pi (5 / 4B / 3B+ / 3B / Zero 2W) into a complete AI learning lab with support for multi-LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Qwen, Doubao, and Ollama. Includes Pan-Tilt HAT,10-axis (10DOF) module, camera, and high-quality components. Learn AI through guided video lessons created with educator Paul McWhorter. (Raspberry Pi not included)
- Build Fun Multi-Modal AI Projects with Voice, Vision & Sensors. Combine sensors, breadboard circuits, Multi-LLMs, voice recognition, and camera vision to create engaging multi-modal AI projects. Learn STT and TTS through hands-on programming, turning abstract AI concepts into interactive projects you can see, hear, and control—perfect for AI beginners
- AI Vision Tracking with YOLO, OpenCV, MediaPipe & Pan-Tilt HAT. Create intelligent vision projects using OpenCV and MediaPipe to detect and track objects, colors, and human movements. The Pan-Tilt HAT allows your projects to actively follow targets, helping learners understand how AI vision and motion work together in real systems
- Fusion HAT+ Power System with Voice AI Interaction. The Fusion HAT+ provides power, safe shutdown, and simplified hardware control via a unified Python library. With the Fusion HAT+ featuring a built-in speaker and microphone, easily build AI voice interaction projects by combining Multi-LLMs with sensors and electronic components
- Step-by-Step Learning with Video Lessons & Technical Support. Includes a structured, project-based curriculum with clear documentation, sample code, and video tutorials created with Paul McWhorter. Backed by responsive technical support and an active community, this kit helps beginners confidently progress from Python basics to AI and interactive projects
- Education and livelihoods
- Disability empowerment
- Financial inclusion
- Sustainability
- Agriculture and food security
- Health and sanitation
Two categories debut in 2026:
Best Use of Agentic AI for Social Good
This category is for systems that can plan and carry out tasks with limited human input while addressing a social need. Explain what the system is allowed to do autonomously, where people remain responsible, and how you prevent unsafe or unintended actions.
Best Use of AI for Responsible Leadership
This recognises leadership practices that make AI trustworthy: governance, accountability, transparency, risk management and investment in the people affected by deployment.
Rank #2
- Includes Raspberry Pi 5 with 2.4Ghz 64-bit quad-core CPU (8GB RAM)
- Includes 128GB Micro SD Card pre-loaded with 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS, USB MicroSD Card Reader
- CanaKit Turbine Black Case for the Raspberry Pi 5
- CanaKit Low Noise Bearing System Fan
- Mega Heat Sink - Black Anodized
The programme also has Women AI Innovators and Youth/Student AI Innovator recognitions. These are additional recognitions rather than replacements for the main impact themes.
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Top entries receive scores from 1 to 10 on five dimensions:
Rank #3
- Raspberry Pi AI Robot: powered by Raspberry Pi (5/4B/3B+/3B/Zero 2W), features 12 servos and sensors for vision, hearing, and touch. Integrated with ChatGPT-4o, it responds to complex queries. With app control and FPV, users can manage and see its view in real-time. It supports Python programming
- Realistic Movements: 12 powerful servos enable 32 actions, including walking, sitting, standing, shaking its head, wagging its tail, and performing playful tricks, closely mimicking a real and providing an engaging experience
- Rich Sensor Suite for Interactive Experiences: features ultrasonic, touch, gyroscope, sound, camera, speaker and microphone. These provide it with advanced hearing, vision, and touch, enabling it to see, detect obstacles, respond to touch, and recognize sounds, making interactions highly engaging
- Engaging Interactions with ChatGPT-4o: with ChatGPT-4o enables voice interactions and visual recognition, making it smarter and more responsive. Users can have natural conversations, solve math problems via the camera, and interpret gestures, creating diverse and fun interactions
- Comprehensive Learning Resources and Support: offers detailed online documentation, video tutorials, prompt technical support, and an active forum community, ensuring beginners can easily complete all projects and enjoy a great experience
| Criterion | What to demonstrate |
|---|---|
| Impact | A specific improvement for people, communities or the environment. |
| Scale | Users reached, locations served, adoption or a credible path to expansion. |
| Innovation | Why the approach is meaningfully different or better than available alternatives. |
| Presentation | A clear explanation, evidence and demonstration that the jury can understand quickly. |
| Use of technology | Why AI is necessary, how it is implemented and whether it performs reliably in context. |
The strongest evidence is a clear, measurable result. Quantify outcomes such as learners completing a course, reduced processing time, increased access to a service, improved crop yields or lower resource use. State the baseline, measurement period and population so the claim can be interpreted rather than treated as a headline number.
How to decide whether your project is a strong fit
- Define the social problem. Identify who is affected, where and how you verified the need with users or a community organisation.
- Connect the project to one named theme or new category. Choose the category that describes the project’s primary outcome, not merely the model or software stack.
- Document measurable impact. Include before-and-after figures, the number of people reached and how results were collected. If the project is a pilot, label it as a pilot and separate observed results from projections.
- Explain the technical contribution. Describe the model or AI workflow in plain language, what it automates and what a human must review.
- Show responsible governance. Cover consent, privacy, security, bias checks, accessibility, incident handling and who can override or stop the system.
- Make the presentation verifiable. Use a short demonstration, examples from real users where permission exists, and evidence that the system works outside a controlled prototype.
What a compelling entry should make easy to verify
- The target population and the local problem are unambiguous.
- Results use numbers rather than only testimonials or model-accuracy claims.
- Scale is stated as current reach, not an aspirational market size.
- Community members, schools, clinics, public agencies or other users helped shape the project.
- Risks and limitations are acknowledged, especially for systems making decisions or acting with limited human input.
- The category choice is obvious from the project’s outcome.
The organisers have not published a single required application word count or a more detailed scoring formula than the five 1–10 parameters. Do not pad an entry to meet an unofficial limit; prioritise evidence, clarity and category fit.
Rank #4
- AI-Powered Raspberry Pi Smart Car — PiCar-X: PiCar-X brings AI learning to life — powered by Openclaw and multi-LLMs including ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Qwen, Doubao, Ollama (Local LLMs), and compatible with many more AI platforms. Featuring OpenCV, MediaPipe, TTS & STT, PiCar-X enables true AI vision and voice interaction — it can see, listen, talk, drive and think like an intelligent companion. Ideal for students (10+), educators, and engineers, PiCar-X is the perfect gateway to explore AI, robotics, and machine learning on Raspberry Pi 5/4/3B+/3B/Zero 2W (Raspberry Pi not included)
- Engaging Interactions with Multi-LLMs: PiCar-X, powered by Openclaw and multi-LLMs — including ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Qwen, Doubao, and Ollama (Local LLMs) — and compatible with many other AI platforms, supports voice interaction and visual recognition to make the robot smarter and more responsive. Users can enjoy natural AI conversations, solve math problems through the camera, and interpret gestures, unlocking a world of diverse and fun AI-driven interactions
- Feature-rich and Adaptable: PiCar-X offers engaging applications like line following and obstacle avoidance, supports TTS (Text-to-Speech) and STT (Speech-to-Text) for interactive voice control, and includes a camera for video and vision recognition. It also comes with various sensors, while its customizable design enables a wide range of creative AI and robotics projects
- Versatile Programming Options: Catering to users of all skill levels, PiCar-X supports both Python and Scratch programming languages, allowing for flexible learning and skill development
- Simplified Assembly & Support: PiCar-X is perfect for beginners, yet learning with experienced users is recommended for best results. It comes with easy assembly instructions and forum support for smooth project completion
Why the 2026 edition matters
Participation has grown from more than 100 nominations in 2024 to 297 nominations in 2025. The 2025 event attracted more than 65,000 live viewers and reached more than 40 million people. The organisers say they are also preparing an AI Tech4Good Impact Report 2026 covering winning organisations, leaders, policymakers and trends in responsible, trusted and agentic AI.
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Salesforce South Asia President and CEO Arundhati Bhattacharya said AI’s success should be measured by the value it creates, with trust, responsible governance and investment in people at the centre. HT Media Group Digital CEO Puneet Jain described the awards as a platform for showing what AI has actually changed, rather than only what it might do.
A separate route for community technology projects
The IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Tech4Good program is a separate opportunity, not another category in the Mint awards. Its call asks applicants to work with a local organisation such as an NGO, school, university, government entity or clinic and to include an impact assessment. Eligibility and deadlines can change, so check the programme’s current official call before applying.
The Bottom Line
If your project serves one of the five eligible countries and can prove a real social outcome, submit it by October 25, 2026. Build the entry around measurable impact, responsible operation, community involvement and a clear match to one of the award themes or new categories.
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