Dell to train 11,000 students, mid-career professionals in AI skills by end-2026

First-aid app among winning ideas at student hackathon organised by Dell, SCDF

- Yap Wei Qiang

With just a phone camera, lay rescuers can get real-time feedback from a first-aid app on whether their posture is optimal for cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the absence of trained professionals in a cardiac emergency.

Smarts embedded in the app study the arm positions and chest compressions to determine if the rescuers are pushing hard and fast enough to keep blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs while professional help is on the way.

The app, dubbed Project PrepARed, won the first prize in a student hackathon organised by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Dell Technologies.

The winning team from NTU is part of Dell's plan—announced on Aug 21—to level up the artificial intelligence (AI) skills of about 11,000 students and mid-career professionals by the end of 2026.

"Nurturing an AI talent pool has always been a priority. Working closer with the wider tech community will be a continued focus," said Mr Ng Nam Guan, senior director of Dell's newly launched AI Innovation Hub.