Resources

Introduction

Welcome to the USAII Global AI Hackathon resource hub! Whether you're new to AI or experienced, these resources will help you prepare for the qualifier, build your project, and create a compelling submission.

USAII Global AI Hackathon Resources


Challenge Briefs (Released June 14)

  • High School Track: [Link to Data Full Challenge Brief]
  • Undergrad Track: [Link to Data Full Challenge Brief]
  • Graduate Track: [Link to Data Full Challenge Brief]

Preparing for the Hackathon

  • USAII AI Bootcamp

  • Resources - Student Guide, Qualifier Prep Guide and Qualifier Practice Guide

  • Attend USAII Global AI Builder series (June 7 - 14) (Discord: #usaii-global-ai-builder-series)

    • AI Systems & Engineering

      1. Aman Bakshi (Apple, Sr Software Engineer)
        GenAI and Security: Building Trustworthy AI Systems
      2. Krishna Chaitanya Balusu (Meta, Sr Software Engineer)
        Vibe Coding 101: Why Domain Expertise is the New Programming Language
      3. Rajesh Gupta (Skan AI, Head of Agentic AI: Product and Engineering)
        The Hard Truth About AI Agents in Production
      4. Jimish J Kadakia (Snowflake, AI Solutions Architect)
        From ETL to AI Systems: Building Intelligent Data Pipelines for Real-World Applications
      5. Nehal Sangoi (AWS, Sr Technical Account Manager)
        From Classroom to Career: Essential AI System Architecture
      6. Chris Slee (LainaHealth, CTO)
        Raising Agents, Not Just Building AI

    • AI Product, UX & Business

      1. Kiran Mayi Hari Babu (Workera, AI GTM Engineer)
        The Human Side of Data: Finding the Heart in AI Solutions
      2. Juhi Deshkar (Google DeepMind, Software Engineer)
        Architecting Trust: Bridging Enterprise Rigor and Generative AI Innovation
      3. Carlos Gorricho (CGAI Management Consulting, Managing Partner)
        The CFO Who Codes: How to Build AI Solutions That Actually Solve Problems
      4. Shannon Lewandowski (Ingage Partners, VP, Strategy & Innovation)
        From Idea to Impact: A Human-Centered Approach to AI
      5. Shereen Moussa (PepsiCo, Product Owner Data Analytics & AI)
        Rapid Prototyping in the Age of AI
      6. Niharika Pujari (McGraw Hill, Lead Software Engineer)
        Accessible by Design: Building Inclusive AI-Powered User Interfaces
      7. Nivedita Thapa (Yellowbrick Data, Product Manager)
        Evals, Edge Cases, and Earning Trust: Building AI Products That Last

      Responsible AI, Ethics & Governance

      1. Dr. Kelly Cohen (University of Cincinnati, University of Cincinnati, Endowed Chair Aerospace Engineering & Director AI Bio Lab, Digital Futures)
        Realizing Trustworthy AI Systems
      2. Anne Elisabeth Courrier (Emory University, Visiting Fellow at Emory Center for Ethics, Associate Professor Nantes Université)
        A Democracy Risk Score: Measuring Patterns in Political Language with AI
      3. Akhmad Khudri (Universitas Bina Darma, Doctoral Student, Educator)
        Sovereign AI: Building Privacy-First Autonomous Agents for Critical Social Impact
      4. Jofia Jose Prakash (American Council for Ethical AI, Advisory Board)
        From Prototype to Trust: Responsible AI Lessons for the Next Generation of Builders

      Founders, Careers & Real-World Impact

      1. Todd James (Aurora Insights, Founder & CEO)
        From Hackathon Idea to Real-World AI Impact
      2. Sandesh Kerehali (Meta Platforms, Engineering Manager)
        What Does It Mean to Build with AI as a Student in 2026
      3. Pranav Saji (Symosis Security, )Head of AI Security
        From Idea to AI Product: Building Responsible AI Systems That Solve Real Problems
      4. Kashif Saleem (SubscriptionFlow, Founder & CEO)
        From Idea to Impact: Building and Pitching Winning AI Projects
      5. Venkat Srinidhi Vaddy (Stripe, Technical Operation Engineer)
        From Idea to Impact: Building and Pitching Winning AI Projects

      Global Perspectives & Foundations

      1. Farhan Azim Aurronoy (Sarva, Founder & CFO)
        AI Made Simple: Foundations for the Next Generation
      2. Payal Thakur (JobsOhio, Managing Director, Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) / CDAIO)
        How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping Our World and the Opportunities


Planning Your Build

  • Discord: #hackathon-resources - Hackathon Problem Canvas
  • Discord: #hackathon-resources - Build a Winning Project


Tools & Technologies

You are NOT required to use any specific tools. Choose what fits your idea.

AI Platforms & Models

Development Platforms

No-Code / Low-Code AI

Data & Visualization

  • Pandas
  • Matplotlib / Seaborn
  • Plotly
  • Tableau Public

Collaboration

Version Control

  • GitHub – Code hosting and collaboration at github.com
  • Git – Version control system

 

Contact Us & Support Channels

Discord Community

  • Discord
    • #welcome-start-here– YOU MUST CLICK ON emlji for your track to access relevant channels
    • #announcements - latest hackathon news
    • #schedule-and-links - hackathon schedule 
    • #rules-and-faqs - USAII GLOBAL AI Hackathon Rules and FAQs
    • #Global AI Builder Series - speaker series (24 professionla speakers)
    • #help-desk – General questions
    • #tech-support – Tech troubleshooting
    • #qualifier-resources – Qualifier support
    • #hackathon-resources – Hackathon support
    • #grad-team-formation – Find graduate track teammates
    • #undergrad-team-formation – Find undergraduate track teammates
    • #hs-team-formation – Find HS track teammates
    • #high-school-track – HS-specific discussion
    • #graduate-challenge-questions – Graduate discussion with mentors on selected challenge
    • #undergraduate-challenge-questions – Undergrad discussion with mentors on selected challenge
    • #hs-challenge-questions – HS discussion with mentors on selected challenge

  • Mentor Office Hours
    • Schedule: Available in Discord #office-hours
      • Americas: 10 AM-12 PM ET, 6-8 PM ET
      • EMEA: 10 AM-12 PM GMT, 5-7 PM GMT
      • APAC: 10 AM-12 PM IST/SGT, 5-7 PM IST/SGT


Email Support

 

Common Issues & Solutions

  • Can't access qualifier?
    Email qualifier.hackathon@usaii.org with subject "Qualifier Access Issue" and your Team ID

  • Discord verification not working?
    Check #tech-support channel for verification bot instructions

  • Submission form errors?
    Screenshot error + post in #tech-support with your Team ID

  • Video upload issues?
    Upload to YouTube/Vimeo/Loom, paste link (don't upload directly to Devpost)

  • Demo link broken?
    Test in incognito browser before submitting

 

Responsible AI

As part of this hackathon, you are expected to design thoughtful and responsible AI solution. We encourage you to review:

  • Responsible AI Framework – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/responsible-ai
  • Data Privacy for Students – https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/what-is-data-privacy
  • Avoiding Bias in AI Systems – https://developers.google.com/machine-learning/fairness-overview
  • AI Ethics Guidelines – https://partnershiponai.org/resources/
  • Responsible AI Practices – [https://ai.google/principles/

Data Ethics & Privacy

  • GDPR Compliance – gdpr.eu
  • Data Privacy Best Practices – datatilsynet.no

Stay Connected

 

Pre-Submission Checklist

Ethics & Responsible AI:

- ✅ Identified potential biases?

- ✅ Explained what AI doesn't do?

- ✅ Kept humans in control of key decisions?

- ✅ Disclosed data sources and limitations?

- ✅ Tested with diverse scenarios?

 

Technical:

- ✅ All code tested and working?

- ✅ Demo accessible to judges?

- ✅ Video uploaded and link tested?

- ✅ All tools and data disclosed?

- ✅ README or documentation complete?

 

Submission:

- ✅ All required fields completed?

- ✅ Qualifier approval code entered?

- ✅ Character limits respected?

- ✅ Team members all listed?

- ✅ Submitted before deadline?

 

Need more help? Join Discord or email aihackathon@usaii.org

 

Good luck building! 🚀