Hackathon | The AI Summit New York

Description

Ready to prototype game-changing AI applications in just eight hours? The Hackathon at The AI Summit [New York](https://www.createwith.com/cities/new-york) is a high-energy, data-driven challenge taking place December 9-10, 2026, at the iconic Javits Center. This fringe event brings together university students and early-career professionals for an intensive on-site competition focused on building breakthrough AI solutions in two cutting-edge categories: Agentic AI and Computer Vision. ## What You'll Build Participants will tackle real-world challenges across two specialized tracks. In the **Best App for Agentic AI** category, you'll design autonomous applications that demonstrate advanced decision-making, workflow automation, and adaptive intelligence. The **Best App for Computer Vision** track challenges you to create visual intelligence solutions — from advanced image recognition to real-time video analytics — that transform how machines perceive the world. The competition emphasizes practical innovation evaluated on five key criteria: technical efficiency, business practicality, market scalability, and real-world impact. Judges include industry leaders like Andrea Hippeau (Partner at Lerer Hippeau), Chris Wiggins (Chief Data Scientist at The New York Times), and Logan Lawler (AI Solutions Lead at Dell Pro Max). ## Who Should Apply This hackathon welcomes current US university students (undergraduate, Masters, or PhD) and early-career professionals (1-3 years experience) in technology fields. Participants should bring proficiency in languages like Python or Java, understanding of machine learning frameworks, and data analysis skills. You must be 18 or older and available in-person at Javits Center for the full event. ## The Experience Selected participants receive access to pre-event masterclasses to sharpen their skillsets before the main competition. During the two-day hackathon, you'll work alongside peers, network with industry experts from organizations like easyJet, and showcase your solutions on a global stage. As past winner Tia Shah notes: "Even if you don't win there are so many opportunities and benefits to be gained — you'll gain access to network with top industry leaders and attend various parts of the summit." Beyond the competition itself, this hackathon serves as a direct pipeline to leading tech organizations actively seeking diverse talent who won't typically apply through traditional job advertisements. Winners from previous