Welcome to the IBM AI Challenge at SpartHill Hacks 2026: AI for Sustainable Impact, a student hackathon bringing together builders, designers, problem-solvers, and innovators to create meaningful AI-powered solutions.

Hosted by San José State University and Foothill College, SpartHill Hacks takes place October 23–24, 2026, at SJSU's Spartan Complex in San José, California.

IBM is excited to support students as they explore how artificial intelligence can transform business, strengthen communities, advance sustainability, and make technology more responsible and accessible.

Whether you're an experienced developer or building your first prototype, this challenge is an opportunity to turn a real-world problem into something meaningful.

 

 

The Challenge: Responsible AI for Business & Society

How can we use artificial intelligence to solve real-world business and societal challenges while ensuring that our solutions remain ethical, transparent, inclusive, and sustainable?

Your mission is to design and prototype an AI-powered solution that addresses a meaningful challenge affecting businesses, individuals, communities, or society.

Explore the Possibilities

Your solution could focus on areas such as:

  • AI for Sustainability: Reduce resource waste, improve energy efficiency, or support environmentally responsible decisions.
  • AI for Business: Improve business workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and help organizations work more intelligently.
  • AI for Accessibility: Make information, services, or digital experiences more inclusive.
  • AI for Communities:  Help individuals and organizations access resources, address local challenges, or improve quality of life.
  • Responsible AI & Governance: Improve AI transparency, explainability, fairness, privacy, safety, or accountability.
  • Your Own Innovation: Identify a meaningful business or societal problem and propose a creative AI-powered solution.

These are starting points, not limitations. We encourage original ideas that align with the challenge's mission.

 

 

Event Details

Dates: Friday, October 23 – Saturday, October 24, 2026

Location: Spartan Complex (SPX), San José State University, San José, California

Format: In-person, interdisciplinary hackathon

Team Size: Up to five students. Participation is subject to SpartHill's official registration and eligibility requirements.

Event Schedule: https://sparthillhack2026.vercel.app/timeline

 

 

How Projects Will Be Evaluated

Projects will be assessed using four core dimensions:

  1. Technical Execution: Quality of the implementation, functionality, and technical decisions.
  2. Innovation: Originality, creativity, and the way AI is applied to the problem.
  3. Challenge Fit & Real-World Impact: Alignment with responsible AI and the potential to create meaningful benefits.
  4. Feasibility & Implementation: Practicality, scalability, limitations, and the potential to move beyond a prototype.

A thoughtful, well-executed project that solves a focused problem can be more compelling than an ambitious idea that cannot be demonstrated.

 

 

Continue Your AI Journey with IBM

SpartHill is only the beginning. Students interested in continuing to develop their AI skills can explore the IBM AI Builders Challenge – North America, a separate virtual competition taking place November 2–December 2, 2026.

The national competition features:

  • AI for Good, AI for Business, and Wildcard challenge themes
  • Hands-on learning through IBM SkillsBuild
  • AI-powered development with IBM Bob
  • Mentorship, webinars, and project support
  • A $15,000 USD total prize pool, including a $10,000 grand prize

The national competition requires separate registration, eligibility verification, prerequisite learning, and project submission. Participation or awards at SpartHill do not guarantee eligibility or entry.

Learn more: aibuilderschallenge-na.bemyapp.com

Requirements

 

What You Need to Build

Build an AI-powered prototype or proof of concept that addresses a real-world challenge connected to responsible AI, business, sustainability, or societal impact.

Your project should demonstrate:

  • A Clear Problem: Identify the issue you're addressing and the people or organizations affected.
  • An AI-Powered Solution: Explain how artificial intelligence contributes to solving the problem.
  • A Prototype: Demonstrate functionality, a usable workflow, or a meaningful proof of concept.
  • Responsible AI Considerations: Address relevant concerns such as privacy, fairness, explainability, transparency, accessibility, or safety.
  • Real-World Impact: Explain the potential benefits and identify how impact could be evaluated.
  • Technical Feasibility: Describe your implementation, assumptions, limitations, and possible next steps.

You do not need to build a production-ready application. Focus on creating something meaningful that you can clearly demonstrate and explain. We just want some sort of a MVP (Minimum Viable Product)

 

 

How to Submit on Devpost

Submit one project per team.

 
Step 1: Create Your Devpost Project

Select Submit Project on this challenge page and provide:

  • Project title
  • Team name and team members
  • Short project summary
  • Detailed project description
  • Technologies and tools used

All team members must be included in the submission.

 
Step 2: Describe Your Solution

Your project description should answer:

  • What problem are you solving?
  • Who experiences this problem?
  • What does your solution do?
  • How does AI contribute to your solution?
  • What technologies, tools, frameworks, or datasets did you use?
  • What impact could your solution create?
  • What are its limitations and potential next steps?
 
Step 3: Provide a Demonstration

Include evidence that allows judges to understand and evaluate your prototype.

Provide at least one of:

  • A short demonstration video, preferably three minutes or less
  • An accessible live application or prototype link

Your demonstration should show the solution in action and explain the primary user experience. Teams should also be prepared to present their projects during the official in-person judging session.

 
Step 4: Share Your Technical Work

For software projects, provide a repository link containing your implementation and a README with setup instructions. For projects that use design tools, no-code platforms, or other development environments, provide appropriate materials that allow judges to review what was created.

Do not include API keys, passwords, private credentials, sensitive personal information, or confidential data in your submission.

 
Step 5: Explain Your Use of AI

Describe which AI technologies you used and why they were appropriate.

If you explored IBM Bob, you're encouraged to explain how it helped with planning, implementation, debugging, testing, or documentation. Use of AI development tools should be disclosed accurately. Teams remain responsible for understanding and validating the work they submit.

 
Step 6: Finalize Your Submission

Before the official submission deadline:

  • Verify that your project information is complete.
  • Confirm that every team member is listed.
  • Test all submitted links.
  • Confirm that judges can access your demonstration.
  • Ensure that your project accurately represents what your team built.
  • Follow any additional instructions announced by the official SpartHill organizers.

Submission Deadline: The final cutoff will be communicated by the event organizers. Please follow the official deadline announced at the event.

   

Important: National IBM AI Builders Challenge

Submitting your project here does not automatically enter it into the IBM AI Builders Challenge – North America.The national competition is a separate program with additional eligibility, learning, tool-use, and submission requirements.

Learn more about the national competition at: aibuilderschallenge-na.bemyapp.com

Build something meaningful, demonstrate what works, and show us why your solution matters!

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

3 non-cash prizes
Best Overall Project
1 winner

Awarded to the team that demonstrates outstanding technical execution, innovation, responsible AI practices, real-world impact, and implementation feasibility. This award recognizes the most exceptional overall project that combines creativity, technical excellence, and meaningful problem-solving. The winning team will receive exclusive IBM swag kits, an invitation to visit IBM Silicon Valley Lab in San Jose, California, and an opportunity to meet and network with IBM executives and technology leaders. Visit scheduling, security requirements, and additional logistics will be coordinated following the hackathon.

Greatest Real-World Impact
1 winner

Awarded to the team whose AI-powered solution demonstrates the greatest potential to create meaningful, measurable, and sustainable real-world impact. This award recognizes projects that address significant challenges facing businesses, communities, society, or the environment through responsible and innovative applications of artificial intelligence. Judges will consider the significance of the problem, potential benefits, feasibility, and long-term impact of the solution. The winning team will receive exclusive IBM swag kits, an invitation to visit IBM Silicon Valley Lab in San Jose, California, and an opportunity to meet and network with IBM executives and technology leaders. Visit scheduling, security requirements, and additional logistics will be coordinated following the hackathon.

Best Solo Hacker
1 winner

Awarded to an exceptional individual who independently designs, develops, and demonstrates an innovative AI-powered solution. This award recognizes outstanding creativity, technical skill, problem-solving, and determination demonstrated by a solo participant. Eligible projects must be developed and submitted by a single student, although AI-assisted development tools and general mentorship are permitted. The winner will receive an exclusive IBM swag kit, an invitation to visit IBM Silicon Valley Lab in San Jose, California, and an opportunity to meet and network with IBM executives and technology leaders. Visit scheduling, security requirements, and additional logistics will be coordinated following the hackathon.

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Heet Shah

Heet Shah
Agentic AI Dev @ IBM

Ashika Anand Babu

Ashika Anand Babu
Software Developer @ IBM

Anikhet Menon

Anikhet Menon
Backend Developer @ IBM

Lakshmi Adinadh Somepalli

Lakshmi Adinadh Somepalli

Tanvi Bhardwaj

Tanvi Bhardwaj

Sunidhi Thakker

Sunidhi Thakker

Marisha Mitesh Parikh

Marisha Mitesh Parikh
AI Product Manager

Judging Criteria

  • Technical Execution
    Evaluate the quality, functionality, and reliability of the prototype. Consider technical architecture, appropriate AI integration, implementation decisions, testing, and how effectively the solution works.
  • Innovation
    Assess the originality, creativity, and uniqueness of the solution. Consider whether the project introduces a fresh approach, applies AI in a meaningful way, or significantly improves an existing solution.
  • Challenge Fit & Real-World Impact
    Evaluate alignment with responsible AI for business and society. Consider the significance of the problem, potential societal or environmental benefits, and evidence supporting the project's real-world impact.
  • Feasibility & Implementation
    Assess how practical and achievable the solution is beyond the hackathon. Consider scalability, technical viability, resource requirements, implementation challenges, and the team's proposed next steps.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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Hackathon sponsors

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