Global Student Hackathon on “Improving Education through Responsible AI” Held at Bengaluru

Bengaluru hosted a worldwide student hackathon focused on “Enhancing Education through Responsible AI,” with the goal of fostering a comprehensive understanding of the importance, potential, and limitations of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in learning and education, targeting both high school and university levels. The hackathon was a collaborative effort between Global Learning Council and HP Inc. in partnership with Axilor Ventures and Pratithi Investments. The hackathon is a part of the broader GLC – HP Global Hackathon series, extending its reach across Rwanda, Kenya, Switzerland, and India.

Subra Suresh, Julia Marton-Lefevre, Meagon Fallone, Kris Gopalakrishnan with the first prize winners

The initial phase of the GLC – HP Global Hackathon commenced with a focus on the Indian market, attracted over 2000 registrations and resulting in the submission of more than 250 ideas. Among these, 15 teams were chosen to progress and create a software demo. Demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity, the hackathon saw enthusiastic participation from students in major metropolitan areas such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi, as well as emerging towns like Aligarh, Asansol, Patiala, and Tirupati. Notably, the competition included a 9th-grade student who fearlessly competed alongside college counterparts!

In the hackathons second phase, the demo day unfolded yesterday at the Infosys Science Foundation, witnessing the attendance of over 100 students specially invited from selected colleges in Bengaluru and Mysuru. Simultaneously, a masterclass on “Programming with Generative AI” was conducted.

Team SmartCheck, comprising Aditya Punia and Sarthak Rawat from Dronacharya College of Engineering, Gurgaon secured the top prize. As a recognition of their achievement, they have received an invitation to attend the GLC Annual Meeting in Switzerland scheduled for June 2024.

The second prize winner was Team Deca x Learn, represented by Aditya Pal Singh from Punjabi University and Abhinav Narang from Punjab Engineering College.

Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder of Infosys and Chairman of Axilor Ventures, said, “As an Advisory Board member of GLC, I am delighted to host its first engagement in India through this hackathon. The overwhelming response from the students and the quality of ideas presented reiterates the fact that India is the IT and AI talent capital of the world.”

Dr. Subra Suresh, Founder, GLC and the recent winner of the National Medal of Science USA, added, “The world is in the middle of a learning revolution. At GLC, we are committed to advancing the use of science and technology to improve the outcomes for learners of all ages and backgrounds around the world. I am delighted that students from the Bengaluru hackathon will join us at Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland and interact with other students from Kigali, Nairobi, and Zurich, and global leaders in education and science.”

Other distinguished guests who attended the event included S.D. Shibulal, Co-founder Infosys, Julia Marton-Lefevre, Chair of Villars Institute, Meagon Fallone, Entrepreneur in Residence at CARE USA, V. Ganapathy, Co-founder and CEO of Axilor Ventures.