First Brazilian AI Hackathon Seeks Solutions to Combat Poverty and Climate Crisis

The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI), Intel, and the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) will hold the first Brazilian Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hackathon on July 17 and 18. The hackathon will feature the participation of startup professionals who will focus on developing AI solutions to combat hunger, poverty, and the negative effects of climate change, aligning with the priority themes of Brazil's G20 presidency—a group comprising the world's largest economies, the African Union, and the European Union.

Registrations for the 1st Brazilian AI Hackathon can be submitted until June 28. To register, simply visit the Amcham Arena website. The 20 selected startups for active participation in the hackathon will be announced on July 1. To participate, companies or early-stage startups operating in the Brazilian market must have technicians and/or engineers capable of executing AI programming tasks.

The three winning startups will be announced on July 19. The Brazilian entrepreneurs will be invited to join Intel’s global startup acceleration program, Liftoff.

A hackathon is a programming marathon that brings together developers, designers, and other technology professionals to seek solutions to a specific challenge. The AI Hackathon will be held in a hybrid format and will propose two challenges:

• Challenge 1: AI Challenge in Combating Poverty – Aims to identify solutions that can deliver results using AI capabilities and inspire further efforts to expand upward mobility out of poverty.
• Challenge 2: AI Climate Hackathon – Seeks to find solutions for some of the most pressing climate issues using AI capabilities.

Participation

According to Guila Calheiros, Secretary of Technological Development and Innovation at MCTI, the ministry will mobilize and encourage the participation of companies supported by federal startup acceleration programs in the hackathon. “Today, we have over 350 AI-focused startups that have received support from the ministry through the Lei do Bem or the Centelha and Conecta programs,” he explained.

For Intel Brazil’s President, Claudia Muchaluat, this is an opportunity to demonstrate Intel’s commitment to the country. “At Intel, we work together with companies, governments, universities, and various partners to democratize AI, which can be applied in different situations to improve people's lives,” she stated.

"With this program, we want to help Brazilian startups take a leap forward by connecting artificial intelligence with solving fundamental socio-environmental problems, essential for building a better future for everyone," emphasized Marcelo Rodrigues, Executive Director of Innovation and New Business at Amcham.

Until November 2024, Brazil holds the G20 presidency, one of the main forums for international economic cooperation. Throughout the term, the country has organized over 100 working group meetings and about 20 ministerial meetings, culminating in the Summit of Heads of Government and State, to be held in Rio de Janeiro on November 18–19, 2024.

With information from Intel.
Promotional image: Freepik.