SLT-MOBITEL, the National ICT Solutions Provider, is powering ‘Hack:AI 2021 Hackathon’, with an aim to provide youth a platform to design ground-breaking innovative solutions to solve real world problems using technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning.

The Hack:AI 2021, an inter-school and university hackathon is an opportunity for young innovators from schools and universities to build solutions using data science and machine learning technologies, thus joining the national movement to drive social impact, with the aim of tackling some of the challenges related to selected Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).

SLT-MOBITEL is the platinum sponsor of the competition. Through Hack:AI 2021, SLT-MOBITEL focuses on unearthing young talent, supporting them to be creative, to showcase their levels of passion and skill and become more inspired with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), while also demonstrating SLT-MOBITEL’s role as the undisputed leader in innovation and advancement of ICT in the country.

The Hack:AI 2021 Hackathon is organised by STEMUP Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit association driven to engage students in STEM careers and skills, together with the Sri Lanka Association for Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka.

The competition is organised under two categories; School - with students aged 13-18 years and University with participants aged 19-25 years. Each team should consist of 3-5 members representing the same School or University. Both categories will be given the same set of problem statements under each SGDs such as Good health and well-being, Quality Education, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and Responsible Consumption & Production

An Ideathon will be held for participants from the School category where the youngsters will be challenged to develop and generate fresh solutions to solve existing challenges in their communities. Competitors from the University will participate in Datathon or data-focused hackathon and will be given a dataset and a limited amount of time, to use their creativity and data science skills to build, test, and explore solutions. The judging process will be focused on Problem Identification, Critical thinking/Problem-Solving Skills, Innovativeness of the solution and applications of AI.

The solution submissions for the Hack:AI 2021 Hackathon is now open, and organisers are invited the participants to engage in knowledge sharing sessions. A Demo Day will be held to showcase the solutions and the winners are to be announced in end-February 2022.

SLT-MOBITEL believes the Hackathon will foster creativity and innovation, developing budding talents in the technology industry. Moreover, that participants will use cutting-edge technologies to solve real world problems, and understand the importance of sustainability and building technology innovations in relation to future needs.