2026-06-15

Can family companionship also help detect the early signs of dementia? Students Chien-Hung Lin and Cheng-Lun Tsai from the Department of Information Management at the National University of Kaohsiung (NUK) proposed a concept titled "Family Interaction App for Early Dementia Screening." By combining daily interactive games with artificial intelligence (AI) analysis, their system aims to help families identify potential cognitive decline at an early stage. The proposal impressed the judging panel and earned first place in the 10th Three-Minute Sustainability Elevator Pitch Competition.

This year's competition centered on the theme "Challenges and Actions in the Era of Generative AI." Student proposals addressed a wide range of issues, including elderly care, digital carbon footprints, career development, and critical thinking, demonstrating how the younger generation is applying technological innovation to sustainable development challenges.

Organized by the Innovation College under NUK's Center for Teaching and Learning Development (CTLD), the competition celebrated its 10th edition on June 12, attracting 23 teams and 39 students from across the university.

Participants were challenged to develop practical solutions to campus or societal issues based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while incorporating emerging trends in generative AI. Each team had only three minutes to present an innovative and feasible sustainability proposal.

The judging panel consisted of Professor Shao-Hsun Keng (Department of Applied Economics), Jen-Sheng Tsai, Director of the Educational Technology Division at CTLD, and Ming-Feng Hsu, a certified facilitator of the 2030 SDGs Game from the Chaobang Foundation. Entries were evaluated based on innovation, feasibility, sustainability impact, and presentation effectiveness.

During the opening ceremony, Po-Lung Huang, Director of the Academic Planning Division at CTLD, noted that generative AI is rapidly transforming learning, work, and daily life while simultaneously creating new challenges related to healthcare, environmental sustainability, educational equity, and critical thinking. He explained that this year's theme encouraged students to examine AI through the lens of sustainable development and develop practical solutions that balance technological innovation with social responsibility.

AI-Assisted Family App Wins First Prize

The championship-winning proposal, "Family Interaction App for Early Dementia Screening," addressed the growing global prevalence of dementia. The student team pointed out that the average interval between the onset of symptoms and formal diagnosis exceeds three and a half years. Because dementia symptoms often resemble normal aging and are further complicated by social stigma and patients' reluctance to seek medical attention, early diagnosis remains difficult.

To address this challenge, the team proposed embedding dementia screening within engaging family interaction games. By collecting behavioral data during gameplay and analyzing it with AI models, the system could help family members identify subtle cognitive changes while allowing older adults to receive support and cognitive stimulation in a natural, enjoyable environment.

Visualizing AI's Carbon Footprint

The second-place award went to Information Management students Ting-Yu Yeh and Yu-Chen Hsu for their proposal "Every Prompt Leaves a Carbon Footprint."

Their project highlighted the often-overlooked energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with generative AI. The team proposed developing a campus AI carbon footprint dashboard that would visualize the environmental impact of AI usage, helping users better understand the hidden carbon costs of each interaction. They also recommended incorporating AI sustainability education into first-year university courses to strengthen students' awareness of the relationship between technology and environmental responsibility.

Encouraging AI to Support—Not Replace—Thinking

The third-place award was presented to Chia-Hsin Yang from the Department of East Asian Languages and Literature for her proposal "The Loss of Human Thinking Processes in the AI Era."

She observed that people are increasingly relying on AI to generate immediate answers while gradually bypassing independent reasoning and critical thinking. Over time, this dependency could weaken analytical and decision-making abilities.

To address this concern, she proposed developing "thinking-oriented AI," improving AI transparency mechanisms, and strengthening AI critical thinking education, ensuring that artificial intelligence serves as a tool to enhance human thinking rather than replace it.

Diverse AI Applications for Sustainable Development

Among the Honorable Mention recipients, Wan-Yun Lai from the Department of Asia-Pacific Industrial and Business Management proposed "Bridge AI," an intelligent career guidance platform using generative AI to provide career navigation, skill development, and personalized job matching.

Another Honorable Mention project, developed by students Yi-Chun Yang, Hsuan-Wei Lin, Chen-Hsuan Wu, and Pei-Yu Lan from the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, introduced a real-time voice warning system for motorcycle road hazards. Using traffic accident data and generative AI, the system identifies high-risk locations and provides timely voice alerts to help riders reduce accident risks through proactive prevention.

Beyond the award-winning projects, participating teams also explored topics including AI hallucinations and information verification, campus energy management, marine pollution monitoring, digital coexistence, and the circular economy. Together, the proposals demonstrated students' ability to critically examine emerging technologies while designing innovative solutions that address contemporary social, environmental, and educational challenges.

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