UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ­— All Penn State students looking to make the world a better place by using the power of artificial intelligence for good are invited to form a team and submit ideas for the 2023 Nittany AI Challenge. 

The competition is open to Penn State students from all campuses, majors and experience levels. Teams chosen will compete for a prize pool of $50,000. Submissions are due by midnight on Jan. 25.

“The selection process of the Nittany AI Challenge is all about impact,” said Brad Zdenek, program manager and innovation strategist for the Nittany AI Alliance. “Very often that type of impact starts with the passion of the team, addressing a need that they have personal experience with, a frustration or injustice that they have seen or felt firsthand. It doesn't start with the technology; it starts with the ‘why.’”

To enter the Idea Phase of the Nittany AI Challenge, students can submit a short proposal about how they envision using AI and machine learning for good to address issues in the areas of health, education, humanitarianism and the environment.

Each year, 30% to 40% of all participants come from nontechnical majors, and Zdenek said the most successful and innovative teams often have a healthy combination of technical and nontechnical members.

“We have a deeply held belief, increasingly proven out by reality, that AI is going to impact everyone, regardless of major. Not everyone will need to learn data science or how to code, but everyone needs to understand this new tool and how it will impact their lives. The goal of the challenge, and of the Nittany AI Alliance in general, is to make certain Penn State graduates are ready for this AI-enabled world,” Zdenek said.

As an example, Zdenek cites Christie Warren, a Penn State alumna who majored in graphic design in the College of Arts and Architecture and a two-time Nittany AI Challenge winner.

“Christie entered and left the challenge with little in the way of machine learning skills, but what she was able to do was use her amazing design knowledge to help her teams build tools that made those machine learning-enabled tools easy to use and understand.”

Challenge participants can gain valuable hands-on experience with AI technologies and critical leadership opportunities while having a positive impact on the world around them.

“We often hear from alumni that during their interviews for their dream jobs, the recruiters only want to talk about the challenge and what they did within that experience. At the same time, participants build their professional networks, meet lifelong friends, and have the chance to win a fair amount of money,” Zdenek said.

He added that the Nittany AI Challenge community is there to help those with great ideas learn how to succeed.

The Nittany AI Student Society will be available for any last-minute help in finishing and submitting proposals from 7-8 p.m. on Jan. 25 in Room 64 of the Willard Building.

To submit your idea for the 2023 Nittany AI Challenge, visit the Nittany AI Alliance website, log in and get started on building your team.

2023 Nittany AI Challenge important dates

Idea submission deadline: Jan. 25

Prototype phase: March 15

Minimum viable product phase: Aug. 8