USAII® Global AI Hackathon 2026 was a global virtual competition that empowered high school, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students to develop impactful AI solutions for real-world challenges. Throughout the hackathon, participants worked in teams, received mentorship from AI experts, and showcased their projects before an international audience. The event was designed to be inclusive, welcoming both first-time hackathon participants and experienced innovators, with support for no-code, low-code, and advanced AI solutions.

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Where Students Build the Future with AI

The USAII® Global AI Hackathon 2026 was a global virtual student innovation competition designed to make AI learning practical, collaborative, and responsible. Students worked in teams of 2–5, leveraged public or synthetic datasets, and developed AI solutions grounded in real-world challenges rather than abstract case studies.

With dedicated tracks for high school, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral participants, the hackathon provided a structured and inclusive learning experience that was both challenging and accessible across time zones. Participants benefited from recorded core sessions, enabling asynchronous learning, while mentors, judges, and industry speakers provided guidance, feedback, and inspiration throughout the competition.

High School Track (9–12)
  • AI for Good in your World

A 1 week structured sprint focused on community, learning, and environment challenges. Designed to help students take a fast, supported first step into AI problem-solving. June 14–21, 2026.

🏆 Winners Announced

Undergraduate Track
  • AI for Life, Learning & Work

A 1-week build experience for students designing AI tools that help people learn, navigate careers, and make better everyday decisions. June 14–21, 2026.

🏆 Winners Announced

Graduate & Doctoral Track
  • AI for Systems & Society

A 1-week advanced build track for students working on public-good systems, human safety, public policy, and responsible AI infrastructure. June 14–21, 2026.

🏆 Winners Announced

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Why this hackathon is different

Global Impact of Hackathon 2026

A global initiative that brought together students, educators, mentors, and AI experts to learn, collaborate, and solve real-world challenges.

  • 6,085 registrations from learners across 160+ countries
  • 5,761 participants completed the AI Thinking Qualifier
  • 808 global teams advanced to the final round
  • 150+ Mentors and 75+ Judges guided and evaluated participants
  • $15,000+ in prizes and AI certification scholarships awarded
  • Thousands of future AI professionals gained hands-on, real-world AI experience
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The Hackathon Journey

A global initiative that brought together the next generation of AI innovators.

Phase — 1
  • GLOBAL REGISTRATION

6,085 students registered

Participants from 160+ countries joined the USAII® Global AI Hackathon 2026.

Phase — 2
  • QUALIFIER ROUND

5,761 participants completed the AI Thinking Assessment

Top-performing participants advanced to the Final Round.

Phase — 3
  • TEAM FORMATION

808 teams were formed

Students collaborated across schools, universities, and countries to solve real-world AI challenges.

Phase — 4
  • FINAL ROUND

2,284 finalists competed

Teams built innovative AI solutions with guidance from mentors and industry experts.

Phase — 5
  • GLOBAL COMMUNITY

150+ mentors • 75+ judges • 25+ industry speakers

Leading AI experts supported participants throughout the competition.

Phase — 6
  • THE OUTCOME

🏆 Winners announced

🌍 Global recognition

🎓 AI certification scholarships awarded

A celebration of innovation, collaboration, and the future of AI talent.

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The Hackathon Was Just the Beginning

Continue Your AI Journey with USAII®

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Meet our Speakers

Chris Slee
Chris Slee

CTO

LainaHealth

Shereen Moussa
Shereen Moussa

Product Owner Data Analytics & AI

PepsiCo

Carlos Gorricho
Carlos Gorricho

Managing Partner

CGAI Management Consulting

Shannon Lewandowski
Shannon Lewandowski

VP, Strategy & Innovation

Ingage Partners

Sandesh Kerehali
Sandesh Kerehali

Engineering Manager

Meta Platforms

Todd James
Todd James

Founder & CEO

Aurora Insights

Dr. Kelly Cohen
Dr. Kelly Cohen

Endowed Chair & Professor in Aerospace Engineering

University of Cincinnati

Aman Bakshi
Aman Bakshi

Sr. Software Engineer

Apple

Anne Elisabeth Courrier
Anne Elisabeth Courrier

Visiting Fellow

Emory University

Jofia Jose Prakash
Jofia Jose Prakash

Advisory Board

American Council for Ethical AI

Rajesh Gupta
Rajesh Gupta

Head of Agentic AI

Skan AI

Pranav Saji
Pranav Saji

Head of AI Security

Symosis Security

Kashif Saleem
Kashif Saleem

Founder & CEO

SubscriptionFlow

Payal Thakur
Payal Thakur

Managing Director

JobsOhio

Nehal Sangoi
Nehal Sangoi

Sr. Technical Account Manager

AWS

Niharika Pujari
Niharika Pujari

Lead Software Engineer

McGraw Hill

Jimish J Kadakia
Jimish J Kadakia

AI Solutions Architect

Snowflake

Kiran Mayi Hari Babu
Kiran Mayi Hari Babu

AI GTM Engineer

Workera

Nivedita Thapa
Nivedita Thapa

Product Manager

Yellowbrick Data

Farhan Azim Aurronoy
Farhan Azim Aurronoy

Founder & CFO

Sarva

Akhmad Khudri
Akhmad Khudri

Doctoral Student, Educator

Universitas Bina Darma

Venkat Srinidhi Vaddy
Venkat Srinidhi Vaddy

Technical Operation Engineer

Stripe

Collaborative Sponsors

The USAII's Global AI Hackathon is supported by organizations committed to advancing responsible AI education and empowering the next generation of innovators. These founding sponsors help make the event possible while supporting students building real-world AI solutions.

We are welcoming a limited number of organizations supporting the inaugural event.

ETA

ETA supports entrepreneurship through acquisition and next-generation business leadership.

The Innovate Summit

The Innovate Summit brings together founders, technologists, and thought leaders to advance innovation across industries.

NowSourcing

NowSourcing is a leading digital media and data storytelling firm known for translating complex topics into accessible, visual insights.

DevITJobs

DevITJobs is the first job board built with Software Engineers in mind. The main goal of the company is to bring more transparency, openness and diversity to the US IT market.

Education Partners

Universities, school districts, and education organizations are helping introduce their students to the USAII® Global AI Hackathon. Through their support and promotion, students from these institutions are already pre-registered and preparing to participate in the inaugural event.

Students from these institutions are already registered for the hackathon.

CISC
Gloxad
Mercer
The Bar-Ilan University

Challenge Advisors

Challenge Advisors work with USAII® to bring real-world problems into the hackathon. These mission-driven organizations help translate meaningful challenges into AI innovation briefs that students will explore during the event.

  • Safe Passage

Safe Passage is a nonprofit organization committed to protecting vulnerable children from trafficking and exploitation. Through education, advocacy, and collaborative programs, Safe Passage works to prevent trafficking, support survivors, and strengthen systems that protect children and families. The organization is dedicated to empowering communities and creating safer futures for children worldwide.

https://www.safepassageusa.org
  • IFSC

The Institute for Survivor Care is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing best practices, training, and innovation in services for survivors of human trafficking and exploitation. As a Challenge Advisor for the USAII Global AI Hackathon, the Institute helps bring real-world challenges into the event, guiding students to explore how AI can strengthen care systems, improve service coordination, and support more effective interventions for survivors.

https://www.instituteforsurvivorcare.org
  • ST John

St. John Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals experiencing homelessness rebuild their lives through services that support housing, employment, and long-term stability. As a Challenge Advisor for the USAII Global AI Hackathon, St. John Center helps bring real-world challenges into the event, guiding students to explore how AI can improve access to services, streamline support systems, and strengthen pathways out of homelessness.

https://www.stjohncenter.org
  • Protect Us Kids Foundation

Protect Us Kids Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit operating across 8 countries dedicated to preventing online child exploitation through education, community engagement, and responsible technology. As a Challenge Advisor for the USAII Global AI Hackathon, PUK brings real-world intelligence on where children face the greatest digital harm — and challenges students to build AI tools that go beyond detection, toward prevention, early intervention, and survivor-informed support. PUK’s work sits at the intersection of child safety, digital public infrastructure, and governance, making it a natural home for solutions that are not just technically sound, but trustworthy, scalable, and built to protect the most vulnerable.

https://www.protect-us-kids.org