Bring an idea. Build what’s next.

September 25-27, 2026 · Washington University in St. Louis

Join an expected 250+ students for a weekend of building, learning, and experimenting with AI. Turn a problem you care about into a working prototype, meet collaborators, and share what you create at the final showcase.

Your first hackathon? You’re in the right place.

No prior coding or AI experience is needed. Come with a team or find one here. Beginner-friendly workshops, mentors, and office hours will help you get from your first idea to a demo.

Learn something new. Explore AI tools with support from workshops and mentors.
Build something real. Sketch, prompt, code, test, and make an idea people can try.
Share your work. Demo your project, explain your choices, and show what you learned.

Find teammates · Explore resources · Read the rules

The weekend at a glance

Friday, September 25
Build window opens. View the official schedule for the opening time.

Sunday, September 27

10:00 AM - Devpost submissions close.
2:00 PM - Finalists announced.
4:00 PM - Finalist presentations begin.
7:00 PM - Winners announced.

All times are Central Time. Workshop, mentorship, and detailed venue information will be shared with registered participants.

What will you build?

Create an AI-powered application, tool, or experience. Start with a clear problem, keep your first version focused, and build something you can demonstrate. We want to see what you made, how it works, and what you learned along the way.

Requirements

What to submit

A working AI-powered project. Submit a prototype, application, tool, or experience, with screenshots and a live demo, source-code repository, or other reviewable build materials.
The problem and your solution. Explain who the project is for, the problem they face, and why your approach is useful.
Your technology stack. List the AI models, APIs, datasets, libraries, frameworks, and other technologies you used.
Your build story. Describe what you completed during the official build window, the challenges and surprises, what you learned, and what you would build next.
Clear credits. Existing tools and open-source resources are welcome. Disclose them and clearly identify your team’s contribution.

Before you hit submit

Check that your page includes a clear title, problem and audience, solution, technology list, screenshots, demo or repository, and lessons learned.

Submission deadline: Sunday, September 27 at 10:00 AM Central Time.

HackWashU Fall AI Build Challenge

Prize breakdown

Timeline

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