The University of Utah’s One-U Responsible AI Initiative at the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute will host a new public AI hackathon on June 4–5. Called “A Breath of Fresh Air,” teams from around the U and beyond will compete to build digital technologies that address air quality challenges in the Salt Lake Valley — all in an intense, 48-hour period.
The Hackathon is open to the public but targeted toward Utah college students. At stake, cash prizes: $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second, and $500 for third.
No previous experience with coding or atmospheric science is needed; the organizers will help form teams around subject matter experts and will have technical advisers on hand during the event itself.
Registration is free and open to the public, and is available until April 15.
Prior to the June Hackathon, the organizers will hold several kick-off sessions where participants can pitch their ideas to one another and learn some of the basics of AI before coding begins.
Once formed, teams will compete across four tracks.
In “Prediction Models,” participants will develop AI tools to predict air quality levels based on historical data, weather patterns, and other relevant factors. These could entail real-time forecasting that alerts communities in advance of upcoming poor air quality days.
For “Mitigation Strategies,” teams will design AI-driven solutions to reduce emissions from key sources, such as transportation, industry, and residential heating. Their applications could help users take personal actions to reduce individual carbon footprints and improve air quality.
The “Understanding and Analysis” track will use AI to analyze the impact of various factors —e.g. traffic, industrial activity, weather — that determine air quality at a given point and time. Participants will create visualizations and dashboards to help the public and policymakers understand air quality trends and their associated impacts.
“Air Quality Products for Health Outcomes” will see participants integrating a range of environmental and air quality data to create a tool that will help illuminate the health impacts of these factors.
After the 48-hour building phase, teams will be judged on their product’s innovation, design, presentation, and feasibility, along with its potential to make an impact on Salt Lake Valley air quality.
Thanks to a sponsorship from Amazon Web Services (AWS), teams will have access to cloud-based compute clusters to run their applications on, as well as in-person technical support during the event. Top teams will also receive prizes from AWS and NVIDIA. A sponsorship from the National Data Platform will provide data for participants to use. Additional sponsorships from aerospace advocacy group 47G, the Utah Office of AI Policy, Pepsi, and others will support cash prizes and food and drinks for in-person participants.