KAIST

AI will take the wheel in "Mario Kart," while students use generative AI tools to tackle an eight-hour hacking contest, as KAIST and POSTECH bring their scientific rivalry to the playing field.

KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) and POSTECH (President Seong Keun Kim) announced on September 18 that the 23rd KAIST-POSTECH Science War, also known as the "KA-PO War," will take place at POSTECH on September 18 and 19.

First held in 2002, the annual event brings students from both universities together for scientific competitions, sports matches, and performances. The two universities take turns hosting the event in Daejeon and Pohang. Following convention, the visiting university's name comes first in the event title, making this year's edition the "KA-PO War." The name "Science War" reflects the event's distinctive combination of technical challenges and athletic competitions.

This year's games feature seven events. The four sports events are baseball, soccer, basketball, and esports matches featuring "League of Legends", while the three science events are a hacking competition, an AI competition, and a science quiz.

This year's science events highlight current technology trends, incorporating generative AI and concepts from autonomous driving into the competitions.

The hacking competition will run for eight hours, from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the first day. The competition will present information security challenges, including cryptography problems, in rounds, with participants earning points for solving them within the allotted time. The use of generative AI tools is fully permitted. A screen will display live scores and participants' progress solving the challenges so spectators can follow the action.

Also beginning at 2:00 p.m. on the first day, the AI competition will take place at the POSTECH eSports Colosseum. AI programs developed and trained by students from both universities will control karts in the popular racing game "Mario Kart Wii" and compete head-to-head. With the AI used to drive the karts without human input, the event serves as a virtual autonomous driving competition.

Scores across four courses will determine the winner of each round. The first team to win two of three rounds will win the match.

The science quiz will begin at 2:00 p.m. on the second day on the stage in front of POSPLEX, combining questions on general science and recent research trends with 'rock-paper-scissors chess,' a chess variant that tests strategic thinking and teamwork alongside scientific knowledge.

The university that wins at least four of the seven events will be crowned this year's overall champion. KAIST currently leads the all-time standings with 13 overall victories to POSTECH's eight.

"We hope this year's KA-PO War goes beyond a friendly exchange to become a special festival where students from Korea's two leading science and technology universities compete fiercely with their pride on the line, while sharing laughter and enjoying themselves together," said Dong-hyeok Lee, chair of the KA-PO War organizing committee and a student in KAIST's Department of Materials Science and Engineering who entered KAIST in 2024.

"The KA-PO War is more than a competition to determine winners and losers. It is a special festival where KAIST and POSTECH students share their passion and talents through science and sports," said KAIST President Choongsik Bae. He added that he hopes the event inspires students to take pride in their role as future leaders of Korean science and technology and gives them a valuable opportunity to learn from one another and grow together through competition.