NUS MSBA Student Nicholas Ang Wins AI Trailblazers Innovation Award 2023
7 February 2024
In July 2023, the AI Trailblazers initiative was launched through a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Communications and Information, Digital Industry Singapore, Smart Nation Singapore, and Google Cloud. As part of this initiative, 84 businesses and government agencies in Singapore developed over 100 Generative AI (GenAI) solutions.
Among the success stories, Nicholas Ang, NUS Master of Science in Business Analytics (NUS MSBA) AY2023/2024 student, emerged as a standout contributor. Nicholas was part of a team that has been honoured with the prestigious AI Trailblazers Innovation Award 2023. He played a pivotal role in developing an outbound sourcing engine with GenAI capabilities during his internship at Reefknot Investments in just 8 weeks.
The AI Trailblazers initiative aims to empower organisations in Singapore by offering complimentary access to Google Cloud’s AI toolsets for up to three months, facilitating the tackling of real-world challenges using GenAI. Under the mentorship of Google Cloud engineers and alongside his colleagues, Nicholas successfully developed the outbound sourcing engine with GenAI capabilities, a testament to his dedication and expertise.
The tool was specifically designed to streamline the start-up search process based on Reefknot Investments' investment methodologies. It aimed to automatically recognise, categorise, and prioritise companies within the logistics and supply chain vertical. The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) was unveiled at the AI Trailblazers Capstone Demo Day, showcasing an interactive web application that further personalised the results and a chatbot powered by Google's latest Large Language Models for deeper insights.
The project had a significant effect, with the potential to decrease the hours spent on outbound sourcing by as much as 30%. This would enable the company to allocate more resources towards tackling more complex and strategic tasks. The MVP also showcased the possibility of an uncapped profit potential.
Expressing his gratitude, Nicholas highlighted his participation in the Explore AI event organised by Google and the invaluable experience gained during his internship. He mentioned, "This internship gave me an eye-opening experience in using my AI/ML skills for business use cases. I am grateful to Reefknot Investments, Google Cloud, and NUS MSBA for their support."
Nicholas' achievement serves as a testament to the prowess of NUS MSBA students and their ability to contribute innovative solutions to real-world challenges. As success stories like Nicholas' continue emerging, this reaffirms NUS Business Analytics Centre (BAC)’s dedication to grooming the next generation of leaders in the fields of business analytics and AI.
Committed to providing world-class education, NUS BAC continues to nurture individuals like Nicholas, empowering them to excel in the dynamic landscape of data analytics and AI. The NUS MSBA programme remains a beacon for aspiring professionals, offering them a transformative learning experience to shape the future of analytics.