AI Synergy Hackathon 2026

Overview Find the real problem. Prove the thinking. Beat the baseline. Organised by Sangillence, in partnership with Gwalior AI Summit v2 at ABV-IIITM Gwalior. A new kind of hackathon. We don't give you a problem statement; we give you a real case study. You work with AI to find the real problem inside it, propose your own problem statement, and then propose a solution to that exact problem. Your AI conversations are the main evidence of your thinking. Eligibility: Open to all UG and PG students in India, any discipline. Team size: 2 to 4 members. Inter-college teams: allowed. Inter-specialization teams: allowed and encouraged. One person can be part of only one team. Coding is not required. Your prototype can be an AI workflow, a no-code build, a chatbot, a clickable mockup with AI logic, or code. Problem Spaces: 6 problem spaces, each given as a detailed case study set in Madhya Pradesh: AI for All: The Fingerprint That Won't Match AI in Agriculture: The Token Before the Seed AI in Healthcare: The First 28 Days AI in Tourism: The City of Music Nobody Hears AI for Energy and Environment: The October Smoke AI in Sports: The Trial Day Each team picks one case study and submits one problem statement and one proposed solution. Format and Process: Round 1 – Online Ideation (10 days) till 14th of oct: Pick one case study. Work with any AI tool (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or similar) to dig from the case to one real problem. Write and submit one problem statement (half page, fixed template). Work with AI to design a solution to that same problem. Submit: your AI chat share links, tagged "Problem" or "Solution", from every member your problem statement your proposed solution (one page, fixed template) a short self-declaration from each member Chat links are analysed with Sangillence's AI-collaboration scoring. The top 15–20 teams are invited to Round 2. Round 2 – Campus Final (36 hrs, on campus at ABV-IIITM Gwalior): Blackout Defence (3 min, no devices): defend your own problem statement. Build Sprints (about 3.5 hours total): build your solution with AI. Twist Card: a new constraint arrives mid-build. Red Team Exchange: critique another team's solution and defend your own. Final Demo + Baseline Duel (6 min demo + 4 min Q&A): compare your solution with an AI's answer to the same problem. Evaluation: Round 1: AI chat links: 40% Problem statement: 25% Proposed solution: 20% Self-assessment accuracy: 15% Round 2 (winners decided on Round 2 score only): Blackout Defence: 15 AI orchestration: 20 Fidelity to your own problem: 10 Adaptability: 15 Red Team: 10 Baseline Duel: 20 Realism and communication: 10 Rules: AI tools are allowed and expected in both rounds, except during the Blackout Defence. Submit only official share links of AI chats. Screenshots or pasted text are not accepted. Every member must submit their own chat links. Submit all chats used for the case, not selected ones. Chats must be dated within the Round 1 window. Your Round 2 solution must solve the problem you submitted in Round 1. If your problem changes, you must explain why. Team members cannot be changed after Round 1 closes. Finalists may attend with fewer members, not different ones. The Round 2 team must be the same as the Round 1 team. College ID will be checked at check-in. Work shown in Round 2 must be built on the day. Round 1 material may be reused. Any evidence you gather must be real. Fabricated interviews or data lead to disqualification. Do not collect personal data of minors, new mothers or infants. Do not record Aadhaar, card or ID numbers of anyone. The following lead to disqualification: edited or broken chat links, chats dated outside the window, and copied work. The judges' decision is final. Data and Privacy: Submitted chats are used only for scoring and AI-collaboration research. Personal details are removed before scoring. Raw chats are deleted by [retention date TBC]. Participation requires consent at submission. Recognition: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place: cash prizes [TBC] + certificates Best in each problem space: certificate Best Calibrated participant: certificate Sharpest Red Team: certificate All finalists: Certificate of Excellence Every Round 1 participant: a personal Synergy Profile based on their AI chats Important Dates [TBC]: Registration opens: Round 1 window: Round 1 results: Round 2 (campus final): October 2026 Fee: 100 per person