KUALA LUMPUR: 400 secondary school students from 36 schools built more than 600 apps with artificial intelligence (AI) over six months under the National AI Builder Programme 2026 (NAIBP), with no coding experience required.
Conceived by Nancie Saw, a teacher at SMK Gajah Berang, Melaka, and run with PivotLab Asia, the programme ended with its National Grand Finals on 26 September at UOB Plaza 1, Kuala Lumpur, where teams from five schools took the top awards.
SMK Tasek Permai, Selangor, was named Champion for Mobamath, a gamified Additional Mathematics app.
SMK Sultan Ismail, Johor Bahru, was first runner-up with HomeLab, a virtual science lab, and SMK (P) Taman Petaling, Petaling Jaya, was second runner-up with EmpowerU, a student wellness app.
Meanwhile SMK Permas Jaya, Pasir Gudang, won Most Creative for Toucanap, a sleep and mood tracker, and SMK Gajah Berang won Most Useful for Pillpal, a medication support app for elderly users and their caregivers.
Saw created NAIBP out of concern for how students were using AI.
"My biggest worry was students throwing away their thinking when they use ChatGPT for homework. We can't stop that, but we can give them a different way to experience AI.
"AI can help us build quickly. The harder work is deciding what problem is worth solving," she said.
From April to September, students aged about 13 to 17 from Melaka, Selangor, Johor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, supported by 54 teachers, learnt to identify a real problem, then build, test and pitch a working app.
The aim is well-rounded, future-ready students who can think critically, communicate and build with AI, not simply use it.
"It takes a village to raise a child, and AI makes that truer than ever.
"When parents, teachers, principals and industry work together, students can become builders of AI, instead of just consumers," " said Jonathan Chu, Founder and CEO of PivotLab Asia.
The finals brought together five judges from different fields, Lead Judge Janet Lee of 95% The Business Culture Consultants, Isaac Tan of Kelas Sekejap, Andre Teow of Build With AI, Jennifer Low of ROAR Academy and Leong Yok Tien of Hackathon Kaki.
Drawing on backgrounds in workplace culture, education, technology, media and hackathons, they asked not only what each team built, but why and for whom.
"Anyone can build an app today. What makes one worth using is how well its builder understands the people it is for," said Lee.
"It starts with listening, which is what this programme asks of every student.
"Critical thinking comes down to making good choices. With AI, the real skill is deciding what matters most, what to leave out and whether a solution solves the problem. That is what NAIBP builds," she added.
PivotLab ran NAIBP pro bono with support from main sponsor QL Eggs, programme partners Replit, UOB, Kelas Sekejap, NGN.AI, ECM Libra Foundation and Fulbright Malaysia, and supporting sponsors Tealive, Mamee and dododots.
It plans to take the programme to more states in 2027 and welcomes schools, sponsors and partners interested in taking part.