Human vs AI Hacker Showdown: Global 88-Country Participation in 'CodeGate' Event Opens

The CodeGate Security Forum announced the launch of the global cybersecurity defense competition and conference 'CodeGate 2026' to be held in Seoul's COEX from March 23. This 18th edition, themed 'Path to Becoming One of the World's Top Three AI Powers: Security,' aims to enhance cybersecurity capabilities against advancing AI-driven attacks to bolster national AI competitiveness. Notably, the competition features KAIST's AI hacker, which competes alongside human white-hat hackers to identify security vulnerabilities. Over 3,333 participants from 88 countries will compete in two divisions—general (24 hours) and junior (12 hours)—with a total prize pool of 71 million won, including 50 million won for the general division winner. The following day will host a conference with keynote speeches by Taesoo Kim, Microsoft's VP of Security Research, who led the DARPA-funded AI Cyber Challenge, discussing AI-driven vulnerability detection strategies. Other speakers include Michael Groener of Chainalysis and Louis Lowe of Huawei. The event also features an AI startup hackathon and hands-on cybersecurity experience programs.