Overview

GenAI Genesis is Canada’s largest AI hackathon focused on using Generative AI to tackle the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The initiative began in 2023 at the University of Toronto Scarborough as AI Olympics and has since evolved into GenAI Genesis, bringing together ambitious builders, researchers, and industry leaders to design and deploy impactful AI systems.

Organizers

GenAI Genesis is organized by the GenAI Genesis Foundation, which works with universities, student organizations, and industry partners across Canada to create a world-class environment for building frontier AI systems.

The initiative was founded by Alankrit Verma and Adib Fallahpour and has grown through collaborations with leading university communities.

Student organizations including GDSC (Google Developer Student Club), UTMIST (UofT Machine Intelligence Student Team), and the UofT AI  Group, along with universities and student clubs across Ontario and Quebec, participate as partners supporting the hackathon ecosystem.

Logistics

Date: March 30 – 31, 2024

Location: 40 St. George St, Toronto (Bahen Centre for Information Technology)

Participants: 300 In-Person Hackers + 50 Virtual Hackers

Catering: Foods and beverages will be provided

Requirements

To ensure a smooth judging process and to maximize your project's impact, please prepare the following for your submission:

Write-Up

Your project submission must include a comprehensive write-up that addresses the following key points:

  • Project Inspiration: Share the motivation behind your project. This could include the problems you're aiming to solve, any personal experiences that led to the idea, or why you believe your project matters in the context of generative AI and sustainable development goals.
  • Technology Stack: Detail the technologies, frameworks, and tools you utilized to bring your project to life. Please include:
  • Languages: List the programming languages used.
  • Frameworks and Libraries: Mention any frameworks or libraries that played a critical role.
  • Platforms: Highlight any platforms or cloud services (e.g., Google Cloud) that your project leverages.
  • Tools: Any other tools or software that were essential to your development process.
  • Product Summary: Provide a clear and concise summary of what your product does. Describe its features, the user experience, and how it addresses the problem(s) you identified. Highlight any innovative aspects of your solution and how it utilizes AI or other technologies to achieve its goals.

 

Code
  • GitHub Repository: Include a link to the public GitHub repository containing your project's code. Ensure the repository is well-organized and contains a README file with setup instructions and an overview of the project.
  • Important: Your project will not be eligible for judging if the GitHub link is not provided or if the repository is not accessible by the judges.

 

  Submission Guidelines:

  • Commits: To maintain the integrity of the competition, ensure there are no commits to the repository before the official start of the hackathon. Any commits made before this time could disqualify your project.
  • README File: The README should effectively communicate what your project is, how to set it up, and any other necessary documentation to understand its structure and functionality.

 

Virtual hackers are expected to adhere to the same guidelines and practices as In-Person hackers. However, the key distinction lies in the judging process, which takes place virtually over Zoom, with a panel of virtual judges. These hackers exclusively compete for the Best Virtual Hack prize category.

 

By adhering to these submission requirements, you ensure that judges can fairly assess your project and appreciate the hard work and innovation that went into its development. We look forward to seeing how your ideas will push the boundaries of what's possible with AI!

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$3,000 in prizes
Best AI Hack
1 winner

Selected by judges from the Vector Institute, and awarded to the best project! The winning team will receive mini projectors.

Best Build with AI Hack using Google Technologies
1 winner

Awarded to the best project that uses Google Technologies such as Google Cloud, Google Vertex AI, PaLM, Gemini, and more! The prize is sponsored by Google and judged by their invited judges. The winning team will receive drones.

Best AI in Healthcare Hack
1 winner

Fitbit Inspire 2

Best AI in Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
1 winner

JBL Go 3

Best AI Safety & Responsible AI Hack
1 winner

Ozeino Gaming Headset, sponsored by Knockri.

Best AI in Finance Hack
1 winner

External Hard Drive

Best AI in Accessibility
1 winner

Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Best AI in Climate Change & Sustainability
1 winner

Hydro Flask

Best AI in Education Hack
1 winner

Wireless Charging Lamp

Best Virtual Hack
1 winner

Only for Virtual Hackers.

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

In-person

In-person
In-person

Judging Criteria

  • Criteria 1: Impact on Sustainable Development Goals
    The team identifies and explains a relevant issue related to a Sustainable Development Goal effectively. The solution feasibly and effectively addresses the problem, having potential for measurable real impact if implemented and deployed.
  • Criteria 2: Innovation and Creativity
    The proposed solution shows innovation and creativity by using generative AI in a unique way to address one or more Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The approach is fresh and inventive, demonstrating clever thinking in solving their problem.
  • Criteria 3: Technical Quality
    The solution's architecture and tech-stack is well-suited to the problem at hand. It demonstrates intentional design and leverages the unique strengths of generative AI in the solution.
  • Criteria 4: Working Demo
    The code demonstration runs smoothly, and clearly presents the main features and design of the solution. It effectively showcases the solution's capabilities with precision and clarity.
  • Criteria 5: Presentation
    The presentation effectively communicates the problem, solution, design process, and teamwork. It shows a good understanding of the topic and engages the audience with clear, professional communication.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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