Yinong Chen, a teaching professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, or SCAI, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, has led his student team to the Intel Cup in Shanghai, China, and the results are in.

SCAI takes the silver!

The SCAI team, a group of computer science undergraduate students that included Alex Guha, Jett Bauman, John Cowan and Thomas Tung was also coached by Assistant Teaching Professor Gennaro De Luca. They were awarded the second-place prize for their project ASUGPT at the official Intel Cup Closing Ceremony.

Created in conjunction with ASU’s AI Innovation Challenge, the team combined OpenAI’s ChatGPT functionality with a comprehensive database of information about Chen’s CSE 445 Distributed Software Development class. The result is a digital assistant called ASUGPT that is always available to provide information about homework assignments, testing schedules and more.

The 2024 Intel Cup team poses with their poster.

The AI tutor can run on a single computer that uses a next-generation Intel processor, saving computational resources when compared to a cloud-based system and enabling a future where ASUGPT could be customized for many different courses.

The Intel Cup is an international event, hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Shanghai Jiaotong University, is an annual design contest for high-performing undergraduate students. Each year, approximately 160 student teams from countries around the world assemble in Shanghai, China to demonstrate computer science projects they have created. The contest seeks to help students develop both technical and important social skills.

As the result of the strong finish, Intel will fully sponsor three student team members to present the project at the US-China Young Maker Competition held in Beijing in August. The SCAI team has prequalified for the final round of the competition.

“This is an outstanding feat,” says Chen.