Lotte AX Challenge 2026: AI Competition Linked to Hiring, Applications Open 28 October 2026

Lotte Group has announced its first group-wide artificial intelligence competition linked to hiring, the AX Challenge 2026, and preliminary applications open on 28 October 2026. The announcement was made on 27 October 2026, and the preliminary round closes on 4 November 2026. Seven companies in the group will take part, seven final winners will share total prize money of 20 million won, and the final round will be held on 24 and 25 November 2026 at the Osan campus of the Lotte Human Resources Development Institute. One point needs checking first: the reports do not state whether applicants based outside South Korea can enter, and the final round is in person in Osan, so eligibility and travel must be confirmed on the official competition website before applying.

The competition targets people who can plan and develop AI agents and apply AI technology to real work. Lotte said the aim is to secure talent that can lead AX, the introduction of AI across work, and a Lotte official said that as AI technology becomes a core competitive edge, it is becoming even more important to secure AI talent in advance. The hiring angle sets it apart: winners can move towards employment through a defined route.

At a glance

Detail	What Lotte has announced
Competition	AX Challenge 2026, Lotte Group
Announced	27 October 2026
Preliminary applications	28 October 2026 to 4 November 2026
Final round	24 to 25 November 2026, Osan campus
Participating companies	Seven affiliates, one task each
Entry requirement	Ability to plan and develop AI agents; no education or age limit stated
Final winners	Seven
Total prize money	20 million won, shared by the seven winners
Judging support	OpenAI provides an AI agent development environment and takes part in judging
Employment route	Conversion-to-hire internship for winners who apply through the I'M track
Not announced	Eligibility outside South Korea; prize split; entry fee; travel support

Why this competition matters for AI jobseekers

Many AI roles are now judged on demonstrated work rather than qualifications alone, and this competition follows that pattern. There is no education limit and no age limit, and the entry requirement is stated as a skill: anyone who can plan and develop AI agents can apply. That opens the door to self-taught developers and career changers whose portfolios are stronger than their credentials, provided they can produce a working proposal and, in the final round, a working agent. The involvement of OpenAI matters in practical terms too: OpenAI will provide an AI agent development environment and take part in judging, so finalists will build with tools the industry is using. The judging criteria are explicit: suitability of the proposed solution, completeness of the AI agent, and ability to use AI technology.

The seven participating companies

Seven companies will take part, each presenting one task: Lotte Wellfood, Lotte Chilsung Beverage, Lotte Chemical, Lotte Home Shopping, Lotte Hotel, Lotte Innovate and Korea Fujifilm. The individual tasks are listed on the official competition website, not in the English-language coverage. Entrants must choose one of the seven tasks and submit a proposal outlining their solution, along with a portfolio. Choosing carefully matters, because the final round builds directly on the preliminary proposal, so an entrant who picks a task they cannot develop into a working agent will be at a disadvantage in November.

How the competition works

From 28 October 2026 to 4 November 2026, applicants submit a preliminary entry consisting of a proposal and a portfolio for one of the seven tasks. Selected finalists then travel to the Osan campus for a final round held over two days and one night, on 24 and 25 November 2026, where they develop AI agents based on their preliminary proposals. The agents are judged on suitability of the solution, completeness of the agent and use of AI technology. Seven final winners will be named and will share total prize money of 20 million won. The prize split is not stated.

What the winners receive

The seven final winners will share 20 million won in total prize money. Separately, winners who apply through Lotte Group's job-focused hiring programme, the I'M track, will receive the benefit of a conversion-to-hire internship, described in the reports as an internship with the possibility of conversion to full-time employment. No internship salary, guaranteed offer or length is stated; read the I'M track conditions before entering.

How to apply, and what to do next

Start by reading the seven tasks on the official competition website, Pick the task that matches the work you can actually build. Prepare a proposal explaining the problem, your solution and how the AI agent would work in practice, and put together a portfolio showing previous AI agent work you have planned or developed. Submit both during the preliminary window, from 28 October 2026 to 4 November 2026. If selected, plan for two days and one night in Osan and confirm travel early; support is not stated.

A note for applicants in Nepal

This is an international AI opportunity, but it is not presented in the reports as a Nepal-specific recruitment, and Nepal is not mentioned in the coverage. The final round is in South Korea, and the reports do not state whether applicants based outside South Korea can enter or whether visa or travel support is available. Nepal-based applicants should confirm eligibility, language and travel arrangements on the official website before entering, and apply only through that channel. Do not pay any intermediary who promises entry, selection or a job from this competition. The reports do not mention an entry fee, and no fee should be paid to a third party on the basis of this announcement.

The window is short: preliminary applications run for only eight days, and the final round follows less than three weeks later. For developers who already have agent work to show, that timetable is workable. For anyone starting from scratch, pick one task, build the proposal around a single clear solution, and let the portfolio do the talking.