Demos from the 2022 SPC AI/LLM Hackathon

2022 seems likely to be remembered as the year AI products started to catch up with AI hype. The relentless pace set by research labs and companies like OpenAI, Stability AI, Google, Meta, and more hint at a paradigm shift. Each week brought a new large language model (LLM), image model, API, or breakthrough. With the momentous year coming to a close, rumors swirl about even more seismic upheaval ahead.

So it was no surprise when SPC members went all-in on our recent AI/LLM Hackathon. 38 builders across 15 teams—including SPC members, alumni, and friends of the community—had a week to hack together a working demo incorporating some kind of AI. The exceptionally talented members of SPC managed to exceed already lofty expectations.

You don't want to miss these incredible projects.

Check out individual project highlights below, including which teams won our five awards, voted on by the SPC community: Grand Prize, All-Around Runner Up, Most Innovative, Most Impactful, and Best UI.

AI in Spreadsheets - Grand Prize Winner

Team: Hanson Wang and Ethan Carlson

Have you ever needed to modify the data in a spreadsheet in a way that, to a human, seems obvious and easy, but within the rigid logic of the spreadsheet is complex, difficult, or impossible? AI in Spreadsheets, by SPC member Hanson Wang and guest Ethan Carlson, solves the problem with startling ease. This “copilot for spreadsheets” wowed community voters and won the hackathon’s Grand Prize. Hanson and the Arcwise team are planning to launch these features as part of a beta “AI copilot for Google Sheets” in early January—sign up for the waitlist!

Animate - All-Around Runner Up

Team: Cinjon Resnick and Lawrence Rogers

Imagine taking your favorite children's story and bringing it to life. With interactive animation, voice acting, and narration, Animate transforms beloved characters and settings into a dynamic, immersive experience. Our community fell in love with this project and awarded it the All-Around Runner Up prize.

FedTorch - Most Innovative Award

Team: Kevin Wang and Minke Zhang

FedTorch is just what it says: a federated implementation of PyTorch (not PyTorch for Feds). If you've had to train or evaluate a large model, you've probably run into the limitations of GPU memory. FedTorch allows anyone with a GPU to join a global cluster on a P2P network, along with paying to use GPU's on a per-job basis through distributed auctions. SPC voters were understandably impressed and awarded Kevin and Minke the Most Innovative award.

Cogent Health - Most Impactful Award

Team: Skyler Erickson

By automating routine tasks, helping scribe patient notes and simplifying communication, Cogent Health streamlines the laborious documentation process for healthcare providers, allowing them to see more patients and provide higher-quality care. Voters took notice of Cogent's potential for real-world application, giving Skylar the Most Impactful award.

Decorum - Best UI Award

Team: Michael Selberg, John Tucker, Will Geffen, and Effy Zhang

Say you’re a corporate manager who would like to avoid bad PR if your company’s Slack messages leak. Or you’re in HR at a growing company that needs to shift away from a more informal internal communication style. Decorum helps by scanning Slack messages and offering alternate phrasing suggestions for messages that might be unprofessional. Community voters thought this slick demo deserved the Best UI award.

Askadabra

Team: Sebastian Marambio, Esteban Dib, Ramon Echeverría, & Maurice Poirrier

Great questions are domain-specific. A great question about history has a different DNA from a great question asked by a psychologist. Askadabra will generate domain-specific questions from prompts such as YouTube videos or documents to guide group discussions. The model will be adaptive, improving based on community feedback and content learned over time.

Brisk

Team: Arman Jaffer, JN Fang, and Paige Fox

What if you had a tool that could help you create a personalized curriculum that addresses the unique needs of each learner, while also taking into account the broader goals and objectives of your program? Brisk creates a tailored learning plan for individual students. With the ability to analyze data on student performance and needs, the AI system can generate a curriculum that is customized to each learner.

Chatty Browser

Team: Charlie Yuan

Decades into the internet age, too many websites are still difficult or dense to navigate. Chatty Browser can guide you straight to what you’re looking for, saving you time and hassle. Think of this Chrome extension as your online navigator.

Contigo

Team: John McDonnell, Bryan Davis, and Ryan Orban

The dream of an adaptable AI voice assistant is as old as the concept of AI itself. John, Bryan, and Ryan set out to make it real with Contigo—a voice-to-text-to-voice AI assistant that can understand and respond to a wide range of requests and situations. Try giving Contigo a call at 830-402-6374.

FrFr

Team: Prince Boucher, Jason Prado, Darby T., and Paul L.

Learning a new skill can be overwhelming. What if you could break down that learning process into small, bite-sized chunks that are easy to digest and retain? FrFr will help you learn through quick, interactive sessions that keep you engaged and motivated. By swiping through a series of prompts and responses, you can learn at your own pace and test your understanding as you go.

Recap

Team: Katie Tsang and Mark Cinali

Conducting user research can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially when you have to sift through hours of interviews to find insights and trends. Recap is an efficient way to extract key themes and insights from research interviews, providing concise summaries of what users are saying and allowing you to focus on the most important takeaways from your research.

StartGen

Team: John Bohannon, Diego Basch, and Katryn Tomanek

Are you tired of being stuck in the same old rut, with no new ideas to inspire and excite you? Well, fear not, StartGen is here to help! Use it to find some fun startup ideas for your business or project. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a creative professional, or just someone who loves to think outside the box, you’ll enjoy exploring with this novel idea generator.

Transcript to Blog Post

Team: Yiren Lu and Gautum Shine

Transcript to Blog Post turns your raw interview transcripts into beautifully structured blog posts, complete with headings and formatting that's easy on the eyes. Just upload your transcript and it does the rest, turning your words into a coherent and compelling narrative that your readers will enjoy reading.

Trying to figure out what to work on next? Ready to go deep on topics like AI and LLMs? The SPC community is here to help. Apply for membership and you could be considered for a $25k Community Grant.