AI Builders Challenge with IBM BobWelcome to the AI Builders Challenge with IBM Bob, sponsored by IBM SkillsBuild and organized by BeMyApp. This global program is designed for college and university students* to build real-world AI solutions, develop in-demand technical skills, and showcase their work to a global audience.Build through monthly hackathon challenges and hands-on labs, compete for a share of the $15,000 USD prize pool, and connect with a collaborative developer community on GitHub and Discord. Earn certificates by completing IBM Bob-related courses on IBM SkillsBuild while gaining practical experience with the latest IBM AI technologies and building projects that strengthen your technical portfolio and help you stand out as a next-generation AI innovator. After building during the July and August challenges, come learn with us at the AI Builders Conference with IBM Bob — a one-day virtual conference taking place on Wednesday, September 16th. Hear from IBM experts and join technical sessions, live demonstrations, and discussions designed to help you learn new AI skills, explore what's possible with IBM Bob, and connect with fellow builders.<hr style="text-align: left;">HOW IT WORKSWhether you're looking to expand your AI knowledge or create a real-world project, the AI Builders Challenge & Conference with IBM Bob offers multiple ways to participate.<table style="width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 50%; background-color: rgb(232, 219, 255);" class="fr-thick">Build Real-World AI Challenge Solutions with IBM Bob</td><td style="width: 50%; background-color: rgb(232, 219, 255);" class="fr-thick">Learn with IBM SkillsBuild Learnings & the AI Builders Conference with IBM Bob</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); vertical-align: top;" class="fr-thick "><div style="text-align: left;">Participate in monthly student hackathon challenges and challenge-themed GitHub Learning Labs to gain hands-on experience with IBM Bob while building portfolio-ready AI projects. Along with submitting a project, each team member must complete at least one IBM SkillsBuild IBM Bob learning activity as part of the challenge requirements. Gain practical experience applying AI to real-world opportunities, develop in-demand technical skills, and showcase your work to a global audience.</div></td><td style="width: 50%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; vertical-align: top;" class="fr-thick"><div style="text-align: left;">Expand your AI knowledge through free IBM SkillsBuild learning experiences, webinars, educational resources, and the AI Builders Conference with IBM Bob. Earn certificates, learn from IBM experts and developers, and explore AI-assisted development through technical sessions, live demonstrations, and hands-on learning designed to help you build with IBM Bob and the latest IBM AI technologies.</div></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://aibuilderschallenge-bobhub.bemyapp.com/#/sponsors/">Learn More Here →</a><hr style="text-align: left;">CONFERENCE AGENDA NOW LIVEWe’re excited to have you join us for the AI Builders Conference with IBM Bob on September 16 from 10:00 AM–1:30 PM ET! We’ll be adding all conference sessions to the platform soon, where you’ll be able to explore the full agenda and favorite the sessions you want to attend. Choose Your Track - From 11:30 AM–1:30 PM ET, choose the track that best fits your interests and dive deeper into AI development or AI-powered education.<table style="width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 50%; background-color: rgb(232, 219, 255);">Student Track | Engineering in the Age of Agents</td><td style="width: 50%; background-color: rgb(232, 219, 255);">Faculty & Educator Track | AI in Education</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">Join IBM technical experts to explore what great software engineering looks like in the age of AI agents. Follow the development journey with IBM Bob—from understanding the problem and designing a solution to building working software.Sessions will explore:-Context & problem framing with Bob-Designing & planning solutions with Bob-Building & shipping working software with Bob</td><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top;">Hear from AI and education experts on how agentic AI is reshaping what and how we teach, with practical insights into responsible AI, software engineering education, and bringing IBM Bob into the academic environment.Sessions will explore:-Teaching responsible AI with confidence-Transforming software engineering education with AI-Adopting IBM Bob Academic Mode</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://aibuilderschallenge-bobhub.bemyapp.com/#/agenda">See Full Agenda Here →</a><hr>MONTHLY CHALLENGE COMPETITION THEMESParticipate in monthly AI hackathon competitions and use IBM Bob to build innovative AI-powered solutions inspired by real-world opportunities. Compete for your share of the $15,000 USD prize pool by submitting one project per month to either the monthly themed challenge or the Wildcard Challenge.<table style="width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 100.0000%;">2. August Challenge Theme - Advance Space Exploration with AISpace exploration operates in some of the most complex and high-stakes environments, where decisions must be precise, data-rich, and often made with limited time and resources. Build solutions that help transform space exploration from data-heavy to insight-driven systems, enabling smarter missions and making space more accessible. Full challenge details and resources will be available closer to the August 1 challenge kickoff. <a href="https://aibuilderschallenge-bobhub.bemyapp.com/#/sponsors/2-august-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learn More About the August Challenge →</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 100.0000%;">+ Wildcard Challenge - Build Intelligent Systems for the Future of WorkAvailable during both the July and August challenge competitions, the Wildcard Challenge is an alternative submission option if your project doesn't fit either monthly challenge theme. Projects must still align with the Wildcard Challenge statement and requirements. Each team may submit one project per month to either the monthly themed challenge or the Wildcard Challenge.AI is evolving from a productivity tool into a true collaborator that can help people plan, coordinate, decide, and execute work more effectively. Build solutions that help individuals, teams, and organizations achieve better outcomes through intelligent automation and decision support.Important: Teams may only submit to the Wildcard Challenge once. If you submit a Wildcard project in July, you cannot submit another Wildcard project in August.<a href="https://aibuilderschallenge-bobhub.bemyapp.com/#/sponsors/3-wildcard-challenge-july-or-august" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learn More About the Wildcard Challenge →</a></td></tr></tbody></table>To be eligible to enter the Challenge, you must be as student at least 18 years of age enrolled at an institution of higher education and be eligible in accordance with the <a href="https://eligibility.bemyapp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BeMyApp Eligibility Policy</a> and the <a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/ideation/image/upload/q_100,f_pdf,dpr_auto/id-ibm-skillsbuil-3eec69/pkqvg8j3q3a4teedy1kd.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Official Rules</a>*Including students at universities, colleges, community colleges, technical or vocational schools and institutes of technology.