At AI Hack for Freedom III, technological expertise met real-world experience. Ten pro-democracy and civil rights activists from around the world brought challenges they encounter in their work, and teams of software developers, which included University of Maryland students, had roughly 30 hours to build tools that could help. Their projects tackled issues ranging from the loss of independent local journalism to restrictions on civic space and access to education.
The September 23-25 event was held at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, Human Rights Foundation and AI Freedom Lab at Bitcoin Park.
For NED President and CEO Damon Wilson, bringing activists with firsthand experience together with technologists was central to the hackathon. Many of the activists, he said, were drawn to their work by experiences that affected them or people they loved. “They came here with problems. They came here with challenges. They came here with real-world issues,” said Wilson. “They came from war zones. They came from very difficult circumstances.”
They came here with problems. They came here with challenges. They came here with real-world issues. They came from war zones. They came from very difficult circumstances.Damon Wilson National Endowment for Democracy President and CEO
UMD students Sai Challagundla and Srinidhi Gubba were among those who took part in the hackathon.
Challagundla, a sophomore majoring in computer science and anthropology, joined the team led by Leonardo Trechi, CEO of independent Venezuelan news organization VPItv and president of the Free Media Foundation. Trechi’s team focused on what he described as “information deserts” in Venezuela, areas where independent media outlets have shut down and local journalists no longer have the resources to continue reporting.
Their team developed Vera, a platform that connects verified local journalists with independent media organizations and funders. Journalists can submit their work through the platform, and an AI tool tracks where their reporting, images or audio are used. That information can then be used to compensate journalists from a pool of funds provided by media organizations and donors.
For Challagundla, working alongside people with direct experience with the problem changed the hackathon experience. “It was very inspiring,” he said. “Meeting with experienced developers and meeting with experienced activists helped me refine how I pitch in future hackathons.” He also came away thinking differently about what distinguishes one AI-assisted project from another. Many of the teams used similar AI tools but produced very different results. “I think it comes down to how people use the tools and how people frame the problem,” said Challagundla. “What you've experienced in life will start to matter a lot more with the rise of AI.”
Vera received one of the competition’s seven honorable mentions.
Srinidhi Gubba, a UMD senior studying computer science who created an individual studies major in sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship, joined the team led by Biljana Spasovska, a democracy and civil society leader from North Macedonia.
Their project, Civic Place, draws on databases and reports documenting restrictions and attacks on civic space. The tool analyzes new incidents, identifies similar cases and helps users find evidence, resources and organizations that may be able to provide support. It can also create materials that advocates can use to explain what is happening to journalists, donors and their communities.
Gubba has participated in other hackathons and also helped organize one at UMD, but said this experience was different because she worked directly with someone who deals with the problem her team was trying to solve. “I've never gotten to work with a stakeholder so directly,” she said. “It was just amazing to hear what her day-to-day life is like, what challenges she faces.”
Gubba said their team was able to draw from Spasovska’s experience as members worked through ideas and considered what would be useful in practice. “I learned a lot both technically and about how technology can be applied to really help others,” she said.
Civic Place received one of the competition’s seven honorable mentions.
Students from across campus also attended the final presentations to see what the teams had built. Graduate student Jessica Zhu, who studies reliability engineering, saw a connection to her own research on ethical applications of machine learning. “As a graduate student focused on researching methods to ensure ethical applications of machine learning, it was very impactful to see a community come together to build real solutions that apply AI for social good,” she said.
The other projects showed how differently teams approached that goal. One developed an offline learning platform that gives Afghan women and girls barred from school access to educational materials without an internet connection. Another created an application that preserves evidence of harassment if an activist’s phone is stolen or damaged. The first-place project created a platform where sports fans can research the entities financing their teams and the human rights records associated with them.
The $50,000 prize pool was distributed among all 10 teams, with $20,000 awarded to the first-place team, $10,000 to second place, $6,000 to third place and $2,000 to each of the remaining teams.
The School of Public Policy’s involvement in the hackathon is part of its broader work shaping how emerging technologies are governed and used for the public good. Science and technology policy is one of the School’s six strategic focus areas, bringing its policy expertise to some of the most consequential questions surrounding technology and its impact on society. That work includes the School’s Tech Policy Hub, which brings together computer science and public policy to address cybersecurity, consumer privacy, information integrity and AI accountability.
The hackathon also connects with UMD’s work through the Maryland Democracy Initiative, an interdisciplinary effort that includes the School of Public Policy, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, College of Education and Philip Merrill College of Journalism. MDI brings together expertise from the four colleges to support research, teaching and civic engagement focused on building people’s capacity for effective civic participation. Its work also considers how technology and behavior are changing.
We have this multiplier effect if this inspires others to join forces, bring their talent. It’s certainly what we’re looking to accomplish with our students.Gustavo Flores-Macías Dean, UMD School of Public Policy
School of Public Policy Dean Gustavo Flores-Macías, who served as one of the hackathon judges, pointed to the organizations and people involved as one of the strengths of the event. “I often like to say success takes a village,” Flores-Macías said. “This is just a perfect example.” Flores-Macías said he was especially excited about the potential for the work to extend beyond the event by inspiring others to contribute their own expertise. “We have this multiplier effect if this inspires others to join forces, bring their talent,” he said. “It’s certainly what we’re looking to accomplish with our students.”
Wilson also looked beyond the projects completed during the hackathon when he addressed the participants at the end of the event. “We’re going to … bend tech so that we can see it work in the service of freedom,” he said.
