My Journey at Gen AI Academy APAC Edition: Building the Future with AI & Hardware

SUHAIL AHMED MS — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 08:17:09 +0000

I'm halfway through Gen AI Academy's APAC Edition, and honestly? It's been the kind of experience that makes you realize how much you don't know — and how excited you should be about that.

The Setup
Coming in as a Cybersecurity & Computer Science Engineering student, I thought I had a decent grasp on AI. I was wrong in the best way possible. The academy isn't just about theory — it's about building, failing, learning, and building again.

What's Actually Happening
Right now, I'm juggling multiple tracks:

HackTronix 2.0 (Track A) — We're building a 3D LiDAR-based system to assess shelter damage after natural disasters. The intersection of computer vision, hardware, and real-world impact is chef's kiss. It's one thing to learn about point clouds in a textbook. It's another to actually process them for something that could help people.

EVA (Early Vulnerability Assessment for Women's Aspirations) — An AI platform we're developing during the hackathon. This one's personal because it's about creating tools that actually matter for underrepresented groups.

The Real Learning
The workshops have been solid, but here's what's actually changed how I think:

AI isn't just software — Building something that works in the real world means understanding hardware constraints, edge cases, and the messy reality of actual deployment
Speed matters — Hackathon timelines force you to make decisions fast. Perfect is the enemy of done
Community > Competition — Yeah, there's a leaderboard, but the best part? Knowing other people building cool stuff in your corner of the world
The Vibe
There's something special about being in a room full of people who get excited about LiDAR point clouds and AI ethics at the same time. The Track 2 workshop coming up (1:30 PM IST tomorrow) has credits for Codelab completion, and everyone's already strategizing.

What's Next
We've got 16 days to push HackTronix and EVA closer to the finish line. The deadline's coming, but so is the moment where everything we've been building actually works (or spectacularly doesn't, which is also a learning).

If you're on the fence about applying to something like this — whether it's Gen AI Academy or any hackathon/bootcamp — just do it. The experience of building alongside people who are just as confused and excited as you is worth way more than the certificate.

To My Fellow Builders
If you're also at Gen AI Academy APAC or any similar program: what's your highlight so far? Drop a comment — I'd love to hear what everyone's working on.

DEV Community: SUHAIL AHMED MS

My Journey at Gen AI Academy APAC Edition: Building the Future with AI & Hardware