​Cornell's First True Local AI Hackathon

​Local AI models have grown increasingly powerful; the frontier of yesterday can run on your laptop today without the need for a power-hungry data center.

​About

​We've teamed up with some of the most exciting companies in the space to challenge builders to make an incredible AI-powered app that runs entirely offline. Here's what we're building with:

• ​Bonsai 2 2B, 4B, and 9B: The highest intelligence density model in the world, compressing each weight into 1.5 bits

• ​Argmax OSS: On-device SDK for frontier speech recognition, generation and speaker recognition

• ​LM Studio: The easiest way to experiment with local and open models

​Judging will be based on several tracks that are announced day-of, however this is otherwise an open build event. Outside of using the LLM and speech sponsors, you are free to build whatever AI-powered solution you please. Replace your AI note-taker, build a tutor, make your alarm clock personally roast you, the world is your oyster.

​Several days before the event, a Discord server will be created to help with team formation. This server will also have engineers from our sponsors who you can reach out to at any point.

​Prizes

​Prizes will be awarded to the three winning teams with two smaller prizes for specific tracks, cosponsored by Argmax Inc. and PrismML

​First Place: M6 Mac Minis

​Second Place: $350 gift cards

​Third Place: $100 gift cards

​Best Sustainability (Sponsored by Cornell University Sustainable Computing Working Group): $100 total for the best app that embodies sustainable practices or mission

​Judges Choice: $100 total for the judges favorite app/demo

​Locally Made: $100 total for the best app coded entirely using open models. It is up to the participants to prove this

​Best Robotics: $100 total for the best app that helps with computer use. Cornell Physical Intelligence Club will be providing SO-ARM100 that will allow several teams to build with embodied intelligence (on a first-come-first-serve basis)

​Winners are mutually exclusive, so no team can win more than one prize. Winners will be decided by a panel of judges including Cornell professors and employees at sponsoring companies.

​Best Accessibility: $500 in LM Studio Bionic credits and expedited interview for the best computer use/accessibility project.

​Teams

​You can either participate solo or in a group of two. This is a hard limit because there are only two of each prize.

​If you somehow end up in a group of more than two (highly not recommended), then you must figure out how prizes will be split. Any arguments over ownership will result in a forfeited prize for the entire time.

​Coding

​No coding plan required! LM Studio Bionic will be providing $100 in credits to all participants (also usable after the event) to use open models like DeepSeek and Kimi K3 for free for the duration of the event.

​Hiring

​Bring a resume! LM Studio and Argmax Inc. may be interested in hiring talented builders.

​Schedule

​Saturday, November 14th

​11:00am - 11:30am: Check-in

​11:30am - 11:45am: Welcome ceremony

​11:45am - 12:15pm: Introduction to challenges and getting started with tools. Speakers from PrismML and Argmax, Inc.

​12:15pm-12:30pm: Sendoff, building begins

​Sunday, November 15th

​Submissions due at noon, meet back at Gates

​12:00pm - 12:30pm: Judging period, decide top 10 teams for live demos

​12:30pm - 1:30pm: Live demos

​1:30pm - 2:00pm: Final judging period

​2:00pm - 2:30pm: Final winners announced, closing ceremony

​Media Notice

​By showing up, you are agreeing to be featured or included in media that may be published by event organizers or sponsors.