Bengaluru played host to a global student hackathon, themed “Enhancing Education through Responsible AI,” aiming to deepen understanding of Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) significance, potential, and constraints in education at high school and university levels. The event, a collaboration between the Global Learning Council (GLC) and HP Inc., in partnership with Axilor Ventures and Pratithi Investments, is part of the broader GLC-HP Global Hackathon series spanning Rwanda, Kenya, Switzerland, and India.

The initial phase centered on the Indian market, drawing over 2000 registrations and yielding 250 ideas. Fifteen teams were selected to advance and develop a software demo, with inclusive participation from students in major cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, and emerging towns like Aligarh, Asansol, Patiala, and Tirupati. Notably, a 9th-grade student competed alongside college counterparts.

In the second phase, the demo day took place at the Infosys Science Foundation, attracting 100 students from selected colleges in Bengaluru and Mysuru. A masterclass on “Programming with Generative AI” was concurrently conducted.

Team SmartCheck, comprising Aditya Punia and Sarthak Rawat from Dronacharya College of Engineering, Gurgaon, secured the top prize. Recognizing their achievement, they received an invitation to the GLC Annual Meeting in Switzerland in June 2024. Team Deca x Learn, represented by Aditya Pal Singh from Punjabi University and Abhinav Narang from Punjab Engineering College, secured the second prize.

Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder of Infosys and Chairman of Axilor Ventures, expressed delight in hosting GLC’s first engagement in India, emphasizing the overwhelming student response, affirming India’s position as the global IT and AI talent hub. Dr. Subra Suresh, Founder of GLC, highlighted the learning revolution and the commitment to leveraging science and technology for global learning improvement. The Bengaluru hackathon participants are set to join peers from Kigali, Nairobi, Zurich, and global education and science leaders in Switzerland.

Distinguished attendees included S.D. Shibulal, Co-founder Infosys, Julia Marton-Lefevre, Chair of Villars Institute, Meagon Fallone, Entrepreneur in Residence at CARE USA, and V. Ganapathy, Co-founder and CEO of Axilor Ventures.

Also read: TeachersHelpTeachers’ Creative #Hackathon transforms education