Intro:
One of my most memorable experiences this summer was participating in an AI prompt hackathon with Microsoft & ANS . The energy was surreal, fostering innovation, collaboration, and team bonding. Great food and rewards kept everyone energized and motivated. Unique technical ideas and solutions came to life in just three days, a process that would typically take months. Such is the magic of engineering hackathons.
Hustling Day Timeline:
The event was hosted at Microsoft Enfield town office space. Upon arrival, we were split into random teams (8 teams in total) received instructions for technical setup. Key note by Dona Sarkar’s presentation on AI and Copilot was both funny and informative. She kindly engaged in a conversation with me afterward about the future of AI adoption across various industries. This was followed by 101 crash course in the art of ‘prompting like a pro’ from Stuart Ridout. A lovely short presentation by Stephanie Stasey 🇺🇦, Lewis Baybutt, Chris Huntingford making awareness about Bletchley Park AI User Group. This was followed by the brief
How can GenerativeAI be used to develop creative solutions that enhance accessibility and empower people with diverse needs in daily life?
Teams Hackathon Idea:
We began with a brainstorming session, discussing the challenges of commuting and imagining how we could make travel easier if we had unlimited resources. By sharing personal experiences and examples, we honed in on our vision. Using our recently acquired knowledge on effective prompting, we started shaping our roadmap and vision. A subset of the team decided to build a proof of value for our concept. In just 4 hours, we created an AI-powered interactive chatbot to assist and recommend easier journeys for people with accessibility needs.
Our presentation outlined our vision for how the solution could evolve. We agreed to build a proof of concept, a small part of the overall vision, using CoPilot Studio. The challenge was to ensure that our custom copilot, which uses specific knowledge, doesn’t generate “hallucinated” answers.
List of All Other Entries
It was fascinating to hear and see how the other teams developed their concepts. The problem-solving, collaboration, and innovative mindset were palpable, showcasing how generative AI could bring ideas to life in just 4 hours. The list of solutions is as follows:
💡 Breaking down Language Barriers
💡 Cancer Patient Support
💡 Career Seekers with Dyslexia
💡 Accessible Journey Planning
💡 Accessible City Planner
💡 Therapy Friend
💡 Accessibility Community Voice
💡 ADHD Made Easy
Benefits / Takeaway from Hackathon:
Attending this hackathon has been an amazing experience. Connecting with a passionate community and learning new skills in AI has been incredibly valuable. I’m looking forward to applying these insights in my work as a SharePoint Developer and Power Platform Enthusiast.
The collaborative environment fostered innovation and teamwork, and I had the opportunity to showcase skills and creativity.
I connected with professionals from various backgrounds, including developers, data scientists, and business leaders. These interactions not only expanded my professional network but also opened doors to potential collaborations and future projects.
The innovative AI projects and solutions developed by other participants were awesome. This showcase was a testament to the diverse and creative approaches to solving complex problems with AI.
And of course, getting the 3rd prize helped with the bragging rights!
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