About the challenge
Inspired by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's essay Machines of Loving Grace, we're asking: what does it look like to build AI that actually makes the world better?
This isn't a vibe-coding competition. We're looking for teams who pick a real problem, build something that genuinely helps real people, and think seriously about what could go wrong. Whether you're tackling health equity, civic participation, economic access, or something entirely your own — if it matters, build it.
When & Where: April 2026 · UCLA Grand Ackerman Ballroom
Who: Open to all undergraduate students across participating institutions.
Prizes: $1,500 cash + $3,000 in Anthropic API credits up for grabs.
Requirements
What to Submit
All submissions must include:
- A working prototype — your project must demonstrate core functionality. Mockups-only will not be considered for top prizes.
- A project description covering:
- What problem you're solving and who it's for
- How your solution works (technical overview)
- What could go wrong, and what safeguards you've built in
- How your project empowers rather than replaces people
- Any ethical considerations made when building this project
- A link to your public GitHub repository
Submissions are due by the posted deadline on the day of the event. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Prizes
1st Overall
$750 cash + $1,500 in API credits
2nd Overall
$500 cash + $1,000 in API credits
3rd Overall
$250 cash + $500 in API credits
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Kristie Son
TikTok
Thomas Norell
Anthropic
Saty Raghavachary
USC Professor
Pranav Nambiar
Qualcomm
Rian Corcino
Azyenberg
Jerry L
MS CS
Pranit Agrawal
Pixley AI (F25)
Parth Patel
AfterQuery
Kayla Kavanaugh
Afore Capitol
Johnathan Healy
Cathay Innovation
Kaitlyn Chu
Apple
Cordell Yee
Superculture
Refaeli Ma
Verizon
Judging Criteria
-
Impact Potential
Is this a real problem? Who does it affect and why does it matter? Does the solution make sense? -
Technical Execution
Does the core functionality work? Does it demonstrate the idea effectively? -
Ethical Alignment
Did the team think seriously about potential harms? Does this empower people rather than replace them?
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
Invite others to compete
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