About the challenge
NYCAIRR × HackBU 2026 is an in-person hackathon at Binghamton University, organized by HackBU and made possible through funding from the New York Center for AI Responsibility and Research (NYCAIRR).
The theme is responsible AI: projects that use AI for the benefit of all people while upholding ethical engineering practices. Pick one of four tracks — Agentic Development, Markets & Networks, Improving Infrastructure, or Environment — and build something that matters. There's $6,000 in prizes across the four tracks.
Get started
The hackathon runs Saturday Nov 7 – Sunday Nov 8 at the Innovation Lab in Bartle Library North. Check-in opens at 11:00am Saturday outside the Innovation Lab; after checking in, head to Lecture Hall 1 for the opening ceremony. Join our Discord through hackbu.org for announcements and questions.
Schedule
Saturday, November 7
- 11:00am – 3:00pm: Registration / check-in (outside the Innovation Lab)
- 12:00pm – 1:00pm: Opening ceremony (LH1)
- 1:00pm: Hacking begins (Innovation Lab)
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm: Lunch (Quiet Cup)
- 3:00pm – 4:00pm: Binghamton AI Society workshop: Agentic Workflows (Innovation Lab)
- 4:00pm – 5:00pm: Binghamton ACM workshop: How to Pitch Your Hackathon Project (Innovation Lab)
- 7:00pm – 8:00pm: Dinner (Quiet Cup)
- 8:00pm: Project form posted (required) — due 11:59pm
- 12:00am: Social activity & midnight snack (Innovation Lab)
Sunday, November 8
- 8:00am – 9:00am: ColorStack workshop: Video Editing for Demos (Innovation Lab)
- 9:00am – 10:00am: Breakfast (Quiet Cup)
- 10:00am – 11:00am: AWM workshop: The Math Behind Technology (Innovation Lab)
- 11:00am: Projects due on Devpost
- 11:30am – 2:30pm: Required judging expo (Innovation Lab)
- 2:00pm – 2:30pm: Lunch (Quiet Cup)
- 2:00pm – 3:00pm: Early Career Super Stars — A Young Professionals Panel (Innovation Lab)
- 3:00pm – 4:00pm: Closing ceremony & award announcements (Innovation Lab)
Contact
General questions: [email protected]
Requirements
What to Build
Build a project that fits one of the four tracks below and aligns with the theme of AI responsibility — using AI for the benefit of all people while upholding ethical engineering practices.
- Agentic Development — Design and evaluate AI agents with safety and interpretability in mind.
- Markets & Networks — Explore transparency and fairness in financial and information systems.
- Improving Infrastructure — Apply AI to power grids, transportation, and critical public systems.
- Environment — Monitor and mitigate climate and environmental challenges with AI.
Your project must be started during hacking hours (Sat 11/7, 1:00pm – Sun 11/8, 11:00am ET).
What to Submit
- A complete Devpost submission before 11:00am ET on Sunday, Nov 8 — your submission must be finished by the deadline, not just your project.
- A link to your source code in a public repository (GitHub, GitLab, etc.) so judges can vet and verify your work. We recommend frequent commits to show your progress over the weekend.
- Your track: on the submission form, check exactly one track prize (Agentic Development, Markets & Networks, Improving Infrastructure, or Environment). Your project will be judged for that track's 1st Place and Runner-up prizes. Each team can win in only one track.
- An honest AI usage disclosure describing how your team used AI tools to build the project.
Your team must also demo your project to the judges at your assigned table during the judging expo (11:30am – 2:30pm, Innovation Lab). Teams that don't meet these requirements won't be considered for prizes. See the Devpost guide to entering a submission if you need help.
Prizes
Agentic Development Track
Agentic Development Track — Runner-up
Markets & Networks Track
Markets & Networks Track — Runner-up
Improving Infrastructure Track
Improving Infrastructure Track — Runner-up
Environment Track
Environment Track — Runner-up
Judges
Patrick Madden
Professor, Binghamton University
Jayson Boubin
Professor, Binghamton University
Priti Wakodikar
Professor, Binghamton University
Nicholas Reyes
Binghamton University Alumnus
Rowan Devereux-Smith
Binghamton University Alumnus, Master's Program
Lucy Loerker
Binghamton University Alumna
Maxwell
Binghamton University Alumnus
Yelena Mujibur Sheikh
Binghamton University Alumna, PhD Candidate
Awez Khatik
Industry Professional
Judging Criteria
-
Originality
How original and creative was the project? -
Design
How well designed and implemented was the project? -
Utility / Impact
How much impact can this project have on people's lives? -
Execution
How well executed was the project? -
Technical Complexity
How impressive and diverse were the technologies used?
Questions? Email the hackathon manager