Lotte Group said on the 27th that it will hold an artificial intelligence competition called the LOTTE AX Challenge 2026.
The contest is the group's first AI competition tied to hiring, aimed at securing practically trained talent for its AI transformation, or AX, push. Anyone with the ability to plan and develop AI agents can enter, regardless of education level or age.
Preliminary applications open on the 28th of this month and close on Nov. 4. Entrants choose one of seven tasks presented by the participating affiliates and submit a proposal and portfolio outlining their solution.
Seven affiliates are taking part: Lotte Wellfood (280360), Lotte Chilsung Beverage, Lotte Chemical (011170), Lotte Homeshopping, Lotte Hotel, Lotte Innovate and Fujifilm Korea. OpenAI, the operator of ChatGPT, is providing technical support, supplying a development environment for AI agents and joining the judging.
The final round will be held over two days from Nov. 24 to 25 at the Osan campus of the Lotte Human Resources Development Institute. Participants will build working AI agents based on the proposals they submitted. Judging will center on three criteria: how well the proposed solution fits the task, the completeness of the AI agent and the entrant's command of AI technology.
Seven winners will share a total of 20 million won ($14,000) in prize money and will be offered an internship with a path to full-time employment if they apply through the group's practice-oriented hiring track known as the "I'm" program.
"As AI technology becomes a core competitive advantage, securing AI talent early is growing more important," a Lotte Group official said. "We will continue to identify outstanding AI talent and actively support them so they can grow into key people who will lead Lotte's AX."