Latest news with #hackathon
RNZ News
7 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Number of students studying for Master's in AI triples at Auckland University
Students learning about Artificial Intelligence in a Master's programme at the University of Auckland during a 'hackathon'. Photo: Supplied The head of a university course offering a masters degree in Artificial Intelligence says student numbers have more than tripled since it began last year. Dr Thomas Lacombe, the director of Auckland University's Master of Artificial Intelligence programme, said about 30 students took part in 2024 and this year's cohort was around 100. Most came from a science background, but there were students from other disciplines, and around 10 to 15 were professional people. "[They] are currently working, some of them full-time, and taking the programme to upskill in AI as part of their career." Most New Zealand universities now offered AI-related degrees and courses. Auckland's Masters programme included technical learning, ethics, academic research, and applying AI within business. Lacombe said it was "tricky" to guess where students would end up working. "A lot of the jobs are being created right now, or they are evolving. Most of the students from the first course are only graduating now," he said. "But it can lead to jobs around AI machine learning engineering. It can be students working for companies who are developing new AI tools or new AI algorithms. "A lot of students could go into jobs where they are applying AI in a specific domain, to solve problems. I think this will have the most impact in industry." Other students would follow an academic pathway, he added. "So, researching AI, perhaps by doing a PhD." Earlier this month, the students took part in a "weekend hackathon" collaborating in small groups to design and develop AI tools to address "real-world challenges" facing researchers and universities. One included helping researchers apply for grants by helping them fill out forms more efficiently, and more effectively, giving them a better chance of being selected. Nick Kearns, of the university's Research and Innovation Office, said the university would look at supporting the students to develop the tools. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GPTBots Drives Enterprise AI Innovation at WaytoAGI Tokyo Hackathon, Showcasing Real-World Agent Solutions
HONG KONG, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- a leading enterprise-grade AI agent building platform, recently sponsored the "WaytoAGI Global AI Conference – Tokyo 2025" hackathon, which took place on June 7-8 at J.F. Oberlin University in Tokyo. The event attracted over 300 participants from Japan, China, and around the world. During the hackathon, developers utilized GPTBots' enterprise AI agent framework to create impactful solutions addressing global business challenges, showcasing how AI agents can transform enterprise operations. Tokyo Hackathon Spotlight: AI Agents Redefining Enterprise SolutionsThe GPTBots hackathon featured four competition tracks—Enterprise Process Automation, AI-Driven Customer Interaction, Data Analysis & Decision Insights, and Open Innovation—challenging teams to build functional AI agents on the GPTBots platform. Three standout projects demonstrated the versatility of GPTBots' platform across industries: Campai: A Web3 marketing campaign management platform leveraging GPTBots for real-time sentiment analysis of social media trends. The solution assigns sentiment scores to Web3 projects by analyzing mention frequency and emotional tone, enabling data-driven marketing strategies. AI-Driven Nail Art Design Agent: Addressing the $12 billion global nail industry's design inefficiency, this agent generates personalized nail art concepts based on user preferences, reducing design time from hours to minutes and enabling salons to offer custom creations at scale. Movie Agent: A modular solution breaking down video production into AI agents—from creative development and script generation to storyboard design—streamlining workflows and cutting production costs by 40% for independent creators. Other notable projects included: DC Audit Agent: A Hong Kong-focused legal compliance tool that reviews employment contracts against local labor laws, generating compliance scores and optimization reports. Demand Lens: An analytics agent scraping Fiverr order data to reveal service demand trends, pricing insights, and market opportunities. Enterprise-Grade Capabilities Showcase at HackathonAt the event, Alen Hu, Senior Innovation Manager at led a practical workshop titled "Mastering GPTBots: Building AI Agents for Enterprise," providing participants with step-by-step guidance on: Core capabilities of GPTBots' agent framework, including LLM integration, workflow orchestration, and RAG-based knowledge retrieval. Hands-on development of AI agents for real-world scenarios, from customer service to data analysis. Best practices for deploying scalable, secure enterprise AI solutions, highlighted by case studies of GPTBots' global deployments. Global Collaboration and Technical Depth"The Tokyo hackathon exemplified how AI agents bridge technology and tangible business value," said Jerry Yin, VP of "Enterprises now seek scalable AI solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing operations. GPTBots' platform empowers this through secure, low-code development and enterprise-grade security." The event showcased cross-cultural innovation, with Japanese teams focusing on retail and hospitality applications, while participants from China led in Web3 and DeFi solutions. Developers demonstrated real-world deployments and shared best practices, highlighting the versatility and impact of enterprise AI agents across different industries. Advancing Scalable AI Adoption for EnterprisesAs part of the WaytoAGI conference, the hackathon highlighted tangible trends in enterprise AI adoption, with projects directly addressing real-world business needs showcased on the GPTBots platform. The diversity of solutions—from automated compliance and personalized design to advanced analytics and marketing—demonstrated how AI agents are being tailored for industry-specific challenges. By enabling rapid prototyping, secure deployment, and seamless integration with existing workflows, GPTBots empowers organizations to accelerate digital transformation and unlock new value streams. The event reinforced the growing demand for enterprise-ready AI solutions that are both scalable and adaptable, as businesses worldwide look to harness AI agents to drive efficiency, innovation, and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market. About is an enterprise AI agent platform that empowers businesses to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth. Offering end-to-end AI solutions across customer service, knowledge search, data analysis, and lead generation, GPTBots enables enterprises to harness the full potential of AI with ease. With seamless integration into various systems, and support for scalable, secure deployments, GPTBots is dedicated to reducing costs, accelerating growth, and helping businesses thrive in the AI era. For more information, visit Media Contact: Tanya Marketing Directormarketing@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
09-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
AI Enthusiasts Invited to ABBYY Developer Conference to Showcase Their Best Innovations Powering the Intelligent Enterprise
BENGALURU, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 8, 2025-- The AI Pulse by ABBYY Developer Conference returns to Bengaluru, India July 9-10, 2025, for the third annual hackathon competition. The free, two-day event will challenge assumptions about enterprise AI by showcasing how document AI and process intelligence are solving real business challenges with technical deep dives, innovative use cases, and collaborative sessions with an emphasis on measurable outcomes. In addition to the hackathon, there will be a dedicated business track to equip enterprise leaders and center of excellence (CoE) architects with practical guidance on scaling automation, accelerating time to value through the ABBYY ecosystem, and building trust through responsible AI. Last year's competition saw projects ranging from invoice processing to onboarding workflows enhanced with generative AI. 'What stood out most was how our partners combined ABBYY technology with other platforms to solve real business problems. That spirit of innovation and collaboration is what makes this event special. This year, we're taking it a step further with dedicated tracks and extra recognition for the winners who truly push the boundaries with a customer-first approach,' commented Neil Murphy, Chief Revenue Officer at ABBYY. This year, prizes will be awarded for Best Overall App, Best Use of an ABBYY Product and Best Integration of 3 rd Party AI. Register for the competition at 'Since our first devcon three years ago, the level of sophistication and imagination using purpose-built AI for business-critical processes has surpassed all expectations. We're seeing challenges with document automation and process workflows eliminated, accuracy and time-to-value increase, and leadership teams more confident knowing they're using ABBYY AI,' commented Bruce Orcutt, Chief Marketing Officer at ABBYY. 'Whether you want to network, code or co-create, the ABBYY developer conference is where the future of AI and automation are shaped.' Don't miss the opportunity to explore ABBYY technology, learn new use cases in AI, or connect with peers and experts. Attendance to the AI Pulse by ABBYY Developer Conference is free, but seats are limited. Secure yours by registering today at or email [email protected] with any questions. Developers are also invited to attend the ABBYY Developers Discord community at About ABBYY ABBYY puts your information to work with purpose-built AI. We combine innovation and experience to transform data from business-critical documents into intelligent actionable outcomes in over 200 languages in real time. We are trusted by more than 10,000 companies globally, including many in the Fortune 500, to drive significant impact where it matters most: accelerating customer experience, operational excellence, and competitive advantage. ABBYY is a global company with headquarters in Austin, Texas and offices in 13 countries. For more information, visit and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and source version on CONTACT: Editorial Contact: Gina Ray [email protected] +1 949-370-0941 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES INDIA NORTH AMERICA ASIA PACIFIC TEXAS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SECURITY DATA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOFTWARE SOURCE: ABBYY Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 06/08/2025 09:30 PM/DISC: 06/08/2025 09:31 PM
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AI Enthusiasts Invited to ABBYY Developer Conference to Showcase Their Best Innovations Powering the Intelligent Enterprise
BENGALURU, India, June 09, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The AI Pulse by ABBYY Developer Conference returns to Bengaluru, India July 9-10, 2025, for the third annual hackathon competition. The free, two-day event will challenge assumptions about enterprise AI by showcasing how document AI and process intelligence are solving real business challenges with technical deep dives, innovative use cases, and collaborative sessions with an emphasis on measurable outcomes. In addition to the hackathon, there will be a dedicated business track to equip enterprise leaders and center of excellence (CoE) architects with practical guidance on scaling automation, accelerating time to value through the ABBYY ecosystem, and building trust through responsible AI. Last year's competition saw projects ranging from invoice processing to onboarding workflows enhanced with generative AI. "What stood out most was how our partners combined ABBYY technology with other platforms to solve real business problems. That spirit of innovation and collaboration is what makes this event special. This year, we're taking it a step further with dedicated tracks and extra recognition for the winners who truly push the boundaries with a customer-first approach," commented Neil Murphy, Chief Revenue Officer at ABBYY. This year, prizes will be awarded for Best Overall App, Best Use of an ABBYY Product and Best Integration of 3rd Party AI. Register for the competition at "Since our first devcon three years ago, the level of sophistication and imagination using purpose-built AI for business-critical processes has surpassed all expectations. We're seeing challenges with document automation and process workflows eliminated, accuracy and time-to-value increase, and leadership teams more confident knowing they're using ABBYY AI," commented Bruce Orcutt, Chief Marketing Officer at ABBYY. "Whether you want to network, code or co-create, the ABBYY developer conference is where the future of AI and automation are shaped." Don't miss the opportunity to explore ABBYY technology, learn new use cases in AI, or connect with peers and experts. Attendance to the AI Pulse by ABBYY Developer Conference is free, but seats are limited. Secure yours by registering today at or email DevCon_enquiries@ with any questions. Developers are also invited to attend the ABBYY Developers Discord community at About ABBYY ABBYY puts your information to work with purpose-built AI. We combine innovation and experience to transform data from business-critical documents into intelligent actionable outcomes in over 200 languages in real time. We are trusted by more than 10,000 companies globally, including many in the Fortune 500, to drive significant impact where it matters most: accelerating customer experience, operational excellence, and competitive advantage. ABBYY is a global company with headquarters in Austin, Texas and offices in 13 countries. For more information, visit and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. ABBYY can either be a registered trademark or a trademark and can also be a logo, a company name (or part of it), or part of a product name of ABBYY group companies and may not be used without consent of its respective owners. View source version on Contacts Editorial Contact: Gina +1 949-370-0941
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Inside Music Biz 2025: AI, Attribution And The Evolving Music Ecosystem
Music Biz Logo This year's Music Biz 2025 conference in Atlanta brought together an eclectic mix of executives, technologists and policymakers to unpack the future of music. If there was one unifying theme across dozens of panels and town halls, it was this: the music industry is not just transforming—it's decentralizing, digitizing and demanding new rules for engagement. The OpenPlay Hackathon: Co-Creating The Future Of Music Tech One of the most compelling examples of this transformation was the OpenPlay x Music Biz Hackathon. Participants used 'vibe coding'—prompt-based AI programming—to rapidly prototype software solutions with tools like Cursor, Lovable, and Bolt. More than a showcase, the hackathon functioned as a collaborative lab for next-gen tools, backed by a $10,000 prize pool. The event exemplified the conference's drive to dismantle systemic silos: 18 companies opened their technology stacks to developers, music professionals, artists, and students who co-created products addressing challenges like rights tracking, revenue attribution, and fan experience design. As hackathon Director, Chris McMurtry explained that for a moment, 'the data silos were truly broken.' Diego Leon, a student based in Berlin, won first place with an app that used Audio Shake and Surreal APIs to analyze audio and recommend rights-holder percentages. Second place went to Serona and Katrina from the Mechanical Licensing Collective for Samplify—an app providing automated analysis for music interpolation and sampling requests. A New Global and Cultural Mandate Conversations around global strategy and diversity — from 'Breaking Borders' to 'Gender Bias in Music Recommendation' — reinforced a powerful mandate for 2025 and beyond: success will require cultural fluency, ethical clarity, and algorithmic accountability. Julie Knibb, Co-Founder of Music Tomorrow, frames it succinctly: 'A model mirrors its data, not reality. Catalogs skew male, so male artists dominate. But listeners often favor artists of their own gender. Hyperpersonalization amplifies this, reinforcing existing tastes rather than correcting systemic imbalance.' This cycle isn't just an ethical concern—it's an economic one. Algorithmic bias determines who gets discovered, who gets paid, and ultimately, what audiences hear next. Whether building localized DSP strategies or correcting systemic bias, the road ahead demands more than just technical agility—it requires intentional leadership and proactive reform. Human First: Resilience, Burnout And Reinvention Mental health wasn't just a side conversation; it was a core part of the conference's ethos. In 'The Moments In Between,' moderators Kei Henderson and Brandie Johnson explored the emotional valleys creatives traverse between high points. Alongside this, 'Money For Something' tackled the economics of burnout—linking poor mental health directly to lost revenues from canceled tours and burned-out teams. The message was clear: supporting people isn't a cost—it's an investment. Independent And Ascending Independents are no longer the scrappy underdogs—they're reshaping the business model. With MIDiA reporting indie market share at 47%, up nearly 10 points since 2022, panels like '47% And Climbing' and 'How To Grow And Stay Independent' zeroed in on how technology and financial innovation are fueling growth. Indie artists and leaders are building companies that scale without sacrificing creative or economic control, often relying on interoperability and direct-to-fan platforms to stay agile and profitable. AI, Attribution And The Age Of Machine Music The influence of artificial intelligence was everywhere—not in theory, but in tools. From the 'AI Town Hall 2.0' retrospective to 'Value Creation In The AI Era,' the conversations focused on tangible innovation. Panels such as 'Attribution First' and 'AI In Music' warned of the dangers of skipping over proper crediting and licensing. and OpenPlay showcased how modern infrastructure can finally close attribution gaps and future-proof revenue flows. Yet ethics weren't far behind. 'The Art Of Licensing' and 'Coding Fairness' examined the deeper philosophical questions: Who owns art in an AI world? What price should creators pay for innovation? These weren't just hypotheticals—they were frameworks for action. Metadata And Monetization: Infrastructure Reimagined Sessions on metadata, rights management and fraud prevention got into the technical weeds while doubled down on the urgent need for action. 'Metadata Mastery' and 'Catalog Power Play' reminded attendees that revenue starts with clean, structured data. Meanwhile, 'Liable Or Safe?' sent a chilling message to execs ignoring streaming fraud: legal liability is no longer optional—it's imminent. The Money Behind The Music Capital is flooding into music rights—and not just for the major players. Panels like 'Indie Music Rights: Major Money Moves' and 'Investing In Music's Future' demonstrated how royalty-backed financing and catalog optimization are being extended to mid-tier and independent artists. Companies like Sound Royalties and Primary Wave outlined financial models that offer cash flow without surrendering control. Engagement Reimagined: From Roblox To Reels Reaching fans today requires an evolved playbook. The demise of the playlist model was underscored in 'Playlists Are Dead,' which highlighted how immersive experiences on platforms like Roblox are outperforming traditional digital strategies. Meanwhile, 'User-Generated Hits' and 'Finding Fan Archetypes' explored how remixes, mashups and algorithmic virality can drive discovery—if artists are prepared to license and monetize them properly. Building Bridges, Not Silos Lastly, panels like 'Plug & Play Success' and 'Break The Silos. Build The Future.' addressed a core infrastructural problem: fragmentation. Whether it's metadata silos, disconnected platforms or outdated licensing pathways, inefficiencies are eroding value. By embracing interoperability and collaborative tech ecosystems, the industry can scale faster—and smarter. The Takeaway Music Biz 2025 wasn't about predicting the future—it was about building it. Whether you're an artist, investor, label or tech founder, the message was consistent: the next era of music won't be dominated by the biggest companies, but by the most adaptable ones. Those who can balance innovation with attribution, data with empathy and independence with scale are the ones that thrive.
