Master of AI students tackle real-life challenges in hackathon

University of Auckland students unveiled their artificial intelligence creations – prototypes for AI agents – at a weekend hackathon, the culmination of their Master of Artificial Intelligence (MAI) course.

In the novel, high-pressure event, 21 teams presented proof-of-concept AI agents to a panel of judges from IBM and the University on campus on 7-8 June.

The AI tools were designed and developed over five weeks to address real-world challenges facing researchers and universities in New Zealand and overseas.

“It’s what they’ll be doing in real life – collaborating with colleagues to get the most out of the AI tools available and solve real-world problems” says Dr Thomas Lacombe, the director of the MAI programme. “We were impressed with what we saw.”

The AI agents – a term for software systems that use AI to complete tasks – were developed using IBM watsonx. The tools would help researchers by:

• providing initial feedback on proposals for research funding;
• pre-screening ethics applications for human and animal research;
• and advising on export permit requirements for sensitive research.
  

“We were delighted to be able to partner with the Master of Artificial Intelligence team and IBM on this hackathon,” said Nick Kearns, of the University’s Research and Innovation Office. “It was great to see the students demonstrate secure and scalable solutions.”

The University will investigate supporting the students in developing the tools for implementation, Kearns says.

The students, who took part in teams of four or five, are part of the second cohort for the Master of Artificial Intelligence programme, which debuted last year, teaching AI through academic, technical, ethical and business lenses.

Technical support for the hackathon was provided by IBM mentors and ElementX, as well as subject matter experts and researchers from across the University.