Dates

AI@USC takes place in person on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026 at Ginsburg Hall (Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall), USC University Park Campus, 1031 Downey Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089. All times are Pacific Time. Submissions are due Sunday, November 15 at 11:00 AM PT.

Eligibility

  • Open exclusively to currently enrolled USC undergraduate and graduate students from all schools and academic disciplines.
  • Participants must register through the AI@USC registration form and attend in person. All participants must be checked in by 9:00 AM on Sunday, November 15.
  • Teams may have 1 to 4 participants. Each participant may be on only one team. Cross-major collaboration is strongly encouraged.
  • Organizers, judges, and mentors may not compete for prizes.

Project and Submission Requirements

  • Originality: All code, design assets, and functional prototypes must be created during the hackathon period (November 14-15). Open-source libraries, frameworks, and pre-existing public APIs are permitted.
  • Each submission must include a project description, a working prototype link, a video demo of up to 3 minutes, a slide deck, and at least one image, and must be submitted on Devpost before the deadline. Late or incomplete submissions will not be judged.
  • Conduct: Respectful conduct is required at all times. All participants must follow the USC Student Code of Conduct and HackSC Participation Standards. Organizers may disqualify participants or projects that violate these standards.

Prizes

Prizes are listed on the overview page and may be updated before the event. Cash prizes are awarded per team. Hardware prizes are awarded per team member, up to four per team. Non-monetary opportunities (interviews, tours, and similar) are offered by partners and are subject to their terms. Winners may need to provide information to receive prizes.

Judging Criteria and Winner Selection

Projects are evaluated by a panel of faculty, industry leaders, and student leaders, including representatives of USC Student Government. In the first round (11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Sunday), judges review all submissions and select 10 finalist teams. Finalists pitch in person from 3:00 - 4:30 PM, with up to 3 minutes per team. Projects are scored on a weighted scale: Impact & Campus Relevance (30%), Technical & AI Execution (25%), Feasibility & Implementation (25%), and User Experience & Design (20%). Judges' decisions are final, and winners are announced at the Closing Ceremony.