The rapid proliferation of generative AI, coupled with increasingly sophisticated fraud and disinformation tactics, has made technology-driven risk mitigation and information verification a global priority. Organized by DIGITIMES and co-organized by Taiwan's National Development Council (NDC), the hackathon brought together developers to address these challenges through an "AI against AI" approach.
Powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), the event also featured BitoPro, a cryptocurrency exchange under BitoGroup, and Gogolook, a TrustTech company, as challenge providers. Participants leveraged advanced AI tools to tackle critical societal issues, including fraud prevention for the elderly and virtual currency transaction security, translating innovative concepts into practical and scalable solutions.
Fraud Prevention Elevated to National Security Priority: Government Strengthens Cross-Agency Collaboration
During the awards ceremony, Tsai Yen-ming, Deputy Commissioner of the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) under Taiwan's National Police Agency (NPA), emphasized that fraud has evolved from isolated criminal incidents into a complex and systemic threat-undermining social trust, disrupting financial order, and even posing risks to national security.
To address these challenges, the CIB has established a Technology Crime Prevention Center to strengthen technology-driven investigative capabilities and talent development, alongside a Fraud Prevention Center that integrates cross-ministerial resources coordinated by the Executive Yuan to enhance overall anti-fraud capacity. Tsai noted that the competition's focus on fraud prevention and virtual currency transaction security has already demonstrated strong potential for real-world implementation. He expressed optimism about deepening collaboration with private-sector teams to accelerate the adoption of AI-driven anti-fraud technologies within the public sector.
Empowering the Next Generation of Tech Talent
The hackathon attracted a diverse group of young developers from universities across Taiwan. During the event, Colley Huang, Chairman of DIGITIMES and IC Radio, encouraged participants to identify their roles and create value amid a rapidly evolving technological landscape. He noted that today's generation faces both challenges and opportunities shaped by the convergence of AI, semiconductors, and geopolitics. Early engagement with emerging technologies and the cultivation of differentiated capabilities, he said, will be essential for building long-term competitiveness.
AWS Provides Cloud Infrastructure and AI Tools to Enhance Solution Feasibility
To enhance the feasibility of the proposed solutions, AWS provided a comprehensive cloud development environment and technical support. Prior to the competition, participants attended workshops to familiarize themselves with AWS's advanced cloud services and AI capabilities. Teams also utilized Kiro, a purpose-built IDE with advanced AI agents, enabling them to rapidly build robust minimum viable products (MVPs) within the 27-hour development period.
Robert Wang, Managing Director of AWS Taiwan, stated that the hackathon successfully brought together government, enterprises, and developers specifically focused on fraud prevention - a highly critical social issue - demonstrating the power of cross-sector collaboration in leveraging technology to solve complex challenges. He noted that fraud tactics continue to evolve by exploiting both technological advancements and human vulnerabilities, making it essential to deploy "equivalent countermeasures" powered by AI and data analytics. Wang further highlighted that Taiwan's extensive experience in fraud prevention holds significant export potential, and that the competition's outcomes not only address domestic challenges but also underscore the global commercial viability of Taiwan-developed anti-fraud solutions.
Gogolook: Building a Cross-Sector Anti-Fraud Ecosystem
In the "Fraud Identification and Prevention" category, with Gogolook serving as the challenge provider, many teams extensively leveraged Amazon Bedrock, a fully managed AWS service that provides access to high-performing foundation models. By integrating multiple foundation models, participants elevated fraud prevention from simple alert notifications to sophisticated, logic-driven explanations that help users understand why content is fraudulent. Team (1) demonstrated the practical application of AI in enhancing real-time fraud detection and decision-making, ultimately securing the top award.
Reiny Song, Co-founder and CTO of Gogolook, remarked that fraud has evolved into a systemic issue spanning digital ecosystems, financial systems, and societal trust. While AI has amplified emerging risks, it also represents a critical tool in combating fraud. He emphasized that effective fraud prevention requires more than a single product; it depends on building a cross-sector ecosystem that integrates technology, real-world scenarios, and talent to drive scalable implementation. The competition showcased not only innovative concepts but also practical and viable technical solutions, advancing fraud prevention from theory to execution.
BitoGroup: Strengthening Security in the Virtual Currency Ecosystem
In the "Virtual Currency Transaction Security" category, Team "Bibi Lab" secured the top award. Titan Cheng, Founder and CEO of BitoGroup, the challenge provider for this category, noted that fraud and cybersecurity threats will become increasingly complex in the AI era, particularly as virtual currency-related crimes continue to evolve. Addressing these challenges, he said, will require sustained and high-intensity efforts rather than short-term initiatives.
Cheng emphasized the importance of strengthening data governance and risk detection capabilities through the exchange of technical frameworks and practical experience, enabling both enterprises and society to collectively elevate their defense capabilities. He added that the competition not only served as a platform to showcase and validate technological innovations but also helped drive the broader adoption and advancement of anti-fraud solutions across the industry.
Advancing Taiwan's AI and Bilingual Talent Development
The hackathon aligns with Taiwan's national agenda to promote AI industrialization and enhance digital societal security, while strengthening international collaboration and talent cultivation. The event received support from the National Development Council's subsidy program for promoting bilingual talent development and fostering an English-friendly environment.
By convening nearly 100 AI professionals from across Taiwan, the competition translated the government's "fraud awareness for all" initiative into scalable and practical technological solutions, enhancing public awareness and resilience against emerging fraud tactics.
The "Agent for Truth: Disinformation Defense Hackathon" served not only as a technological competition but also as a public-wide collaborative effort to build a digital defense network through public-private partnership and cross-generational co-creation. By bringing together cross-disciplinary AI talent to develop innovative solutions that genuinely protect citizens and strengthen societal resilience, the event demonstrated the potential for deeper cross-sector collaboration to build a more robust trustworthy information ecosystem and create a safer, more digitally resilient information environment for Taiwan.
Government and industry leaders gather at the hackathon awards ceremony. Credit: DIGITIMES