Alipay launches AI innovation contest with million-dollar prize, encourages developers to submit solutions to everyday problems

Alipay launched the 'Emergent Agent Award' at the Bund Conference, offering a 10 million yuan annual prize pool with a 1 million yuan grand prize. The contest allows non-coders to submit solutions to everyday problems. A 25-year-old developer from Hangzhou submitted over 100 entries in three days, inspired by user wishes on the official website. Alipay clarified that the 1 million yuan prize will be awarded in 2027, encouraging participants to refine their work. The contest received over 1,000 submissions, with Zhang San, a participant, emphasizing the importance of Alipay's ecosystem. Alipay stated there are two independent prize pools for the award. The contest, open from September 10 to November 10, will screen entries quarterly and announce the winner in the fourth quarter of 2027. Selected works may be integrated into 'Abao,' serving 1 billion users on Alipay.