Build an AI tool focused on revolutionizing education for K-12 or university-level learners in just one week of ideation, development, and pitching
Registration opens February 17.
We hope you will join us March 21-28, 2025 for the second annual Wharton Hack-AI-thon, a co-curricular program that provides students with an unparalleled opportunity to explore and innovate with artificial intelligence.
No AI experience? No problem! This groundbreaking event welcomes students of all skill levels to explore and innovate with AI. Whether you’re an AI novice or a seasoned tech enthusiast, this is your chance to develop practical solutions, learn from experts, and make your mark in the rapidly evolving field of AI technology.
Register as a team and bring a mix of talents and perspectives! Our workshops and mentors will provide the guidance you need to be successful in this event. Stay tuned for more details and sign up for updates below.
Important Dates
Reasons to Participate
How it Works
Who Is Eligible?
Penn and Wharton students (Undergraduate, Masters, and PhD) are eligible. No prior AI experience is required.
Register
Registration opens February 17 and closes March 16. Each team should have 3-5 students currently enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. There will be a maximum of 60 teams. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Teams will compete in the following challenges:
AI for Education Challenge
- Build an AI tool focused on revolutionizing education for K-12 or university-level learners
- Resources Provided: OpenAI API, Hugging Face Space
- Teams must build their own AI solution with code and cannot use prebuilt “build your own GPT” shells
Prompt Hacking Challenge (Optional)
- Prompt an AI assistant to reveal “secret” information
- Resources Provided: Pre-built AI assistants (with “secret” information)
Attend the Kick-Off Event on March 21
Attend the keynote address by Hamsa Bastani, Associate Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions, followed by two exclusive workshops on OpenAI API use and prompt engineering. Lunch will be provided. During the event, teams will receive:
- Instructions for both challenges
- Judging criteria
- Access to the Wharton Hack-AI-thon Slack Workspace
Build Your AI Tool & Solve the Prompt Hacking Challenge
Spend the next six days building your tool and solving the prompt hacking challenge. Teams are required to submit the following through Survey Monkey Apply by March 27, at 9 a.m. ET:
AI for Education Challenge
- Link to their app on Hugging Face
- Link to recorded 2-minute video of your presentation
- Presentation materials and relevant documentation
Prompt Hacking Challenge (Optional)
- Secret information found
- Link to Custom GPT chat containing prompts used to reveal secret information
- Short summary of strategy and tactics used
Finalist teams, to be selected from the video submissions, will have the opportunity to present their work on March 28.
Present Your AI Tool & Prompt to a Panel of Judges on March 28
Finalist teams will deliver their final presentation in person to a panel of industry and faculty experts in AI. Judging criteria will be shared with teams during the kick-off event on March 21. Teams must be present to win.
Questions?
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
AI for Education Challenge Prizes
1st Place Team
Apple Products and Invitation To Present at a Wharton Board Meeting
2nd Place Team
Apple Products and Recognition on the WAIAI Website
3rd Place Team
Apple Products and Recognition on the WAIAI Website
Timeline
Sunday, March 16: Teams must register by 11:59 p.m. ET
Friday, March 21: Hack-AI-thon Kick-Off Event
- 10:00 – 10:30 AM ET: Breakfast and Check-In
- 10:30 – 11:00 AM ET: Keynote by Hamsa Bastani, Associate Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions
- 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET: Exclusive workshops
- OpenAI API Programming Workshop
A practical guide for using the OpenAI API to integrate AI into innovative projects. Learn setup, advanced features, and create interactive applications with tools like Hugging Face. This workshop will prepare participants for the AI for Education Challenge by focusing on practical techniques for creating applications that address K-12 or university-level learning needs. - Prompt Engineering Workshop
Dive into crafting effective prompts for precise AI tool responses. This hands-on session will prepare participants for the optional Prompt Hacking Challenge by teaching strategies to uncover “secret” information from AI assistants and enhance creativity in their submissions.
- OpenAI API Programming Workshop
- 12:00 PM ET: Lunch
Friday, March 21 – Wednesday, March 26: Student teams work; office hours for questions
Thursday, March 27: Submissions Due
- 9:00 AM ET: Deadline to submit team materials (e.g., presentation, code, other resources)
- 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET: Review by Wharton AI & Analytics Initiative research team
- 5:00 PM ET: Finalists announced via WAIAI’s Instagram Live
Friday, March 28: Hack-AI-thon Presentations and Judging
- 9:30 AM ET: Breakfast and Networking
- 10:00 – 11:30 AM ET: Finalist Team Presentations
- 11:30 – 12:00 PM ET: Hacking Challenge Winners Presentation
- 12:00 – 12:45 PM ET: Lunch
- 12:45 – 1:30 PM ET: Judges Deliberation
- 1:30 – 2:00 PM ET: Winners Announced and Prizes Awarded