List of hackathons about ai in 2026

Join us for the AI Builders Conference with IBM Bob, a virtual event taking place on September 16, 2026, from 10:00 AM–1:30 PM ET. Designed for students, educators, developers, and innovators, the conference brings together IBM experts, industry leaders, and the global AI builder community to explore the future of AI-assisted software development, agentic AI, and AI-powered learning.The conference will begin with a keynote session for all attendees before splitting into two dedicated learning tracks:Student Track: Explore how AI is transforming software development by shifting the focus from writing code to designing intelligent systems. Discover how IBM Bob empowers developers to build faster, solve real-world challenges, and create the next generation of AI-powered applications.Faculty & Educator Track: Designed for educators, faculty, and university administrators, this track explores how agentic AI is reshaping teaching and learning. Discover practical strategies for integrating AI into curriculum, preparing students for an AI-native workforce, and bringing AI-powered learning experiences into the classroom.Throughout the event, attendees will experience technical sessions, live product demonstrations, AI Builder project showcases, and opportunities to engage with IBM experts while exploring the latest advancements in AI and software development.Whether you're building with AI or preparing the next generation of AI talent, the AI Builders Conference with IBM Bob offers practical insights, live talks and demos, and meaningful connections to help you stay ahead in an AI-first world.Additional speakers, sessions, and the full conference agenda will be announced soon!Register Now!

Join IBM Dev Day: Bob in Action, a free virtual event on August 27th designed for enterprise developers, AI practitioners, and technical leaders looking to modernize mission-critical applications with AI.Spend a day learning from IBM experts as they demonstrate how IBM Bob helps developers plan, execute, validate, and govern complex modernization tasks across the software development lifecycle. Choose from two technical tracks covering IBM i modernization and IBM Z development, then apply your new skills in the IBM TechXchange 2026 Pre-Conference Dev Day Hackathon August 28-30 by building a solution that improves a real developer workflow.Compete for a chance to win up to $2,000 USD for the Grand Prize, travel to the IBM TechXchange 2026 Conference, and join the top 50 teams earning conference passes.Register now and discover how IBM Bob can help you build faster, modernize smarter, and scale your AI impact.

Join the AI Builders Challenge with IBM Bob, a global virtual program for university students sponsored by IBM SkillsBuild and organized by BeMyApp. Through monthly AI innovation challenges and learning opportunities, participants can gain hands-on experience with IBM technologies, develop practical AI skills, and create portfolio-ready projects.Build AI-powered solutions for monthly challenges focused on Creative Industries (July), Space Exploration (August), or the Wildcard Challenge: Intelligent Systems for the Future of Work, and compete for a share of the $15,000 prize pool.Learn through IBM SkillsBuild content, the IBM Bob Virtual Conference, webinars, and additional IBM resources.Register now to connect with a global community of student innovators and explore real-world applications of AI. The Challenge is open to eligible university students 18 years of age or older across participating countries. Participation is subject to the Official Rules.

Join us for the AI Builders Challenge sponsored by IBM SkillsBuild, a global program for university students to gain hands-on experience building real-world AI solutions using IBM technologies. Through monthly challenges, hands-on labs, and a collaborative community, you’ll develop practical skills and create portfolio-ready projects.The June Challenge, inspired by the World Cup, invites you to take on the challenge: Create AI-powered solutions that help fans better understand the game before, during, or after a match. Whether focused on tactics, officiating decisions, or fan engagement, your project should showcase how explainable, human-centered AI can improve trust, accessibility, and understanding at a global scale.Submissions due June 30th at 11:59 PM ET.To be eligible to enter the Contest, you must be a student enrolled in an institution of higher education and a legal resident of, and/or be part of an organization registered in: the United States of America, Canada (excluding Quebec), the United Kingdom (England, Ireland, Scotland), and India.Register Now!

Explore the power of Bob at IBM Dev Day: Bob Edition, a free, virtual event designed for developers, engineers, and AI builders. Taking place on April 30th from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM ET, this event features deep-dive sessions led by IBM experts and open-source contributors, focused on next-generation AI productivity tooling.After the main event, participants are invited to join the IBM Bob Hackathon, where you’ll collaborate with peers to build and deploy AI-powered solutions using IBM Bob while competing for a piece of the $10,000 prize pool.Whether you’re looking to expand your expertise in agentic AI, explore advanced automation frameworks, or connect with a community of technical innovators, this event offers a valuable opportunity to level up your skill set. Register Now!

Join us March 19–20, 2026 at North Carolina Central University for the NCCU AI Hackathon, an in-person student hackathon powered by IBM SkillsBuild. Open to university students across Durham and surrounding campuses, this event challenges teams to design responsible, sustainable agentic AI solutions across three industry tracks: Healthcare & Life Sciences, Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Education & Workforce Intelligence.Participants will gain hands-on experience with IBM technologies, including watsonx Orchestrate and IBM SkillsBuild, collaborate directly with IBM mentors and industry experts, and build portfolio-ready projects.Teams will compete for a $10,000 prize pool sponsored by IBM while developing practical skills and professional connections that extend beyond the event.Register now!

Join us at Cal State LA on March 16th & 17th for the CSU AI Hackathon, an in-person hackathon powered by IBM SkillsBuild that brings together university students from Cal State LA and surrounding CSU campuses to apply artificial intelligence to real-world industry challenges.Participants will collaborate in teams to design innovative, AI-powered solutions across three industry-focused challenge tracks: Healthcare and Life Sciences, Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Education and Workforce Intelligence. Your AI-solutions will also need an emphasis on responsible AI, and highlight how agentic AI is being used in a sustainable manner. Throughout the event, students will gain hands-on experience with IBM technologies such as watsonx Orchestrate and IBM SkillsBuild, while working alongside IBM experts and industry mentors to explore how AI can be applied responsibly and ethically to solve pressing business challenges.Compete for a share of $10,000 in cash prizes while developing technical and professional skills, building your portfolio, and connecting with peers and professionals shaping the future of AI innovation.Register now!

​Ready to go beyond traditional automation? Join us for this all-day, in-person event in San Francisco featuring UiPath Platform™ Agentic Automation updates and a hands-on workshop focused on agentic automation.​We are partnering with qBotica, a Diamond Partner of UiPath, and AI Collective, the world’s largest AI community, to deliver a practical, builder-focused experience.​This event is designed to help you explore, build, and orchestrate AI-powered agents with UiPath through guided sessions, real-world use cases, and interactive workshops. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of how agentic automation is being applied across enterprise environments and walk away with practical knowledge, hands-on experience, and new connections you can take back to your team.Secure your spot today.

Join us for the AI Hackathon at Ohio State, a 24-hour, in-person student hackathon on February 27th & 28th. Sponsored by IBM SkillsBuild in collaboration with the Buckeye Fintech Group, this event invites college students to build AI-powered solutions to real-world challenges in education and finance.Participants will receive access to IBM SkillsBuild AI courses and an exclusive pre-event webinar led by IBM technical experts to help them prepare for the hackathon. When the hackathon kicks off, teams will design, build, and demo AI-powered solutions across two challenge tracks (AI in Education and Fintech) using IBM AI and cloud technologies, with hands-on mentorship from IBM professionals throughout the event.Students will compete for a share of the $10,000 prize pool, build a portfolio-ready project, earn IBM SkillsBuild digital credentials, and network with fellow students and IBM experts while exploring the future of AI.Register now!

Kick off 2026 with IBM Dev Day: AI Demystified, a free, virtual event designed for developers, engineers, and AI builders on January 29th, 11:00AM - 5:00PM ET. Learn from IBM experts and open-source leaders about the latest AI tools, automation, and multi-agent workflows. Get hands-on with IBM Bob, ALTK, CUGA, IBM Granite, Langflow, and Mellea, and see how to build and scale AI smarter and faster. After the main event, you can join the AI Demystified Hackathon to build AI-powered solutions with fellow participants and compete for a share of the $10,000 prize pool. Whether you want to enhance your technical skills, explore cutting-edge AI tools, or collaborate with other innovators, IBM Dev Day: AI Demystified provides the insights and resources to scale your AI impact in 2026.Register now!