AI & The Church Hackathon

2024 Official Rules of Participation

Eligibility

You are eligible to participate in and enter the Gloo AI Hackathon provided you meet the following requirements:

  • You are, and each of your team members is, at least 18 years old and the age of majority in your/his/her jurisdiction of residence. 

  • Individuals must apply and be approved to participate at the hackathon. Once approved to participate, individuals and/or teams will receive additional logistics, hotel room block details, challenge details, and steps to complete your registration.


GENERAL RULES FOR PARTICIPATION

The Competition Period - Development of the solution that will be considered for awards may start 30 days before the actual date and time of the event’s hacking period, which begins on 13 August 2024, one month prior to the hackathon. You can build on existing technology but you will only be judged on code written and progress made during the competition’s hacking period.  Any teams that violate this rule will be automatically disqualified. 

Any software development tools, game engine, IDE, and/or programming language can be used for the event.

Paid Software Assets - You can use purchased paid art/audio assets, you just have to identify what is used and where it was sourced. Low cost paid developer plug-ins are also okay. Assets, SDKs, APIs or other tools or components available under a trial license may be used. 

Paid Software Tools - For paid creation tools such as Adobe Creative and Solid Works, or generative AI tools such as ChatGPT or Midjourney, you are allowed to use any platform available to you. We want to enable all participants to continue to work on the platform they are most familiar with.

Use of Personal Property - You are responsible for the safety and security of your own personal property, including laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and any XR gear you bring. We cannot store or secure personal equipment at the hackathon.

Public Release - Any code submitted for judging will not be released to the public and will only be reviewed by the judging team only.  

Software Licenses - The license selected by the team must be clearly listed in code announcing the license the project adheres to. A team can use multiple licenses in their project. For example, the public code used could be licensed under the Apache license agreement whereas the code written by the team for their project could be licensed under the MIT license agreement. Public code used inside the project should also list the licenses the code is subjected to. 

Communication - You will be required to join and participate in the AI & the Church Slack channel established for organization and team communications before and during the event.

Commitment to Present - While you are not required to present actual code, all entrants must present a two minute summary of their solution.

Mission Control - If you are not sure about a rule during the event, go to the mission control center to make a rules inquiry or ask on Slack in the #questions-to-organizers channel.


SOLUTION ENTRY STANDARDS AND  REQUIREMENTS 

The intent and spirit of the Hackathon is to encourage Participants to build innovative

applications using AI to serve the wider needs and purposes of the Church.  In addition to the content and technical requirements listed earlier, to be eligible for judging, all Entries must be acceptable for all viewing audiences. 

We will automatically disqualify any Participant or team that submits an Entry or supporting materials that contain data, code, text, sound or images that we, in our sole opinion and for any reason, believe to be malicious, illegal, vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate for public viewing, or that presents the organizers, partners, or event itself in a negative light.


Build Requirements: Build a new solution that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) to support flourishing people and thriving churches.  As part of your submission, you must:

  • Solution: Deliver a solution (code, application, etc) via a defined GitHub and/or Drive provided by the organizers that utilizes AI and addresses the challenges issued in advance of the event and worked on during the announced competition period.

  • Entry Description: Submit a 250 word description submitted in English of the solution. 

  • Demo Video: Submit a maximum 90-second demo video of the working application uploaded to your YouTube or Vimeo account, with a link to the demo video provided through the submission process (see official rules for more details).

By submitting an Entry in this Hackathon, you agree:

  • That you, your team and the Entry submitted complies with these Official Rules;

  • That the entirety of the Entry is your/your team’s original work;

  • That the demo video submitted is solely the work of you or your team, including but not limited to, the actual filming, editing, graphic design, etc. of the video; and

  • That you/your team have obtained any and all consents, approvals, or licenses required for you to submit your Entry, and that your Entry will not violate anyone else’s rights or the law.


HOW MANY ENTRIES MAY I SUBMIT?

One. You and/or your team may submit one Entry. If more than one Entry is submitted the second Entry submitted will be disqualified unless clearly stated that you prefer to use the second Entry instead of your first Entry.


DISQUALIFICATION

We will disqualify, in our sole discretion, any Entry that we believe contains any element that is malicious, corrupt, damaged, incomplete, inappropriate, ineligible or illegible. We are not responsible for Entries that we do not receive for any reason, or for Entries that we receive but do not meet Hackathon requirements (as determined by us in our sole discretion) or are not decipherable for any reason.


HOW WILL ENTRIES BE JUDGED?

The judging period will begin on Sunday afternoon, September 15.  If you /your team is eligible to present, your team must present your entry onsite in the presentation session. You and/or a member of your team may be asked by the judges to clarify your entry, verify the work completed during the competition period, or discuss the validity of the solution. The winning entries will be announced that day. 

There will be a single round of judging by a panel of judges who will be announced before the event. There will also be an independent code verification team who checks and scores any related code of submissions. 

Entries will be judged on the following criteria and factors:

  1. Concept/Product

    1. Does the product address the challenge? 

    2. How user-friendly is the approach? 

    3. How much progress did they make during the event? 

  1. Innovation

    1. Does the project portray a creative approach to the issue?

    2. Does the project address an actual need? 

    3. Did they start from scratch or build on existing technology? 

  1. Impact and Execution

    1. How much impact (quality and quantity) could the solution have? 

    2. Could it produce a big change or a little change to the problem it addresses?

    3. Is this solution implementable? 

    4. How hard would it be to scale? 

  1. AI 

    1. How did the project use AI?


  2. Presentation

    1. How well did the team communicate with each other and the audience? 

    2. How well did they respond to questions from judges?


WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?

Participants are eligible for awards including cash prizes totalling $250,000 as well as opportunities for later acceleration, which may include an additional investment per project and an ongoing business development agreement..  Cash prize amounts range from $5,000-$100,000 and will total $250,000. Teams that win awards may be eligible for additional acceleration funding from Gloo, though not required to accept any offer. 

Award categories may include but are not limited to:

  1. Overall Grand Prize (most impactful)

  2. Best of challenge category (6)

    1. Thriving Organizations

      1. First Place

      2. Second Place

      3. Third Place

    2. Flourishing

      1. First Place

      2. Second Place

      3. Third Place

  3. Best in function category (6)

    1. Best function or capability 

    2. Best product design 

    3. Best marketing or pitch 

    4. Best generative AI tool 

    5. Best infrastructure 

  4. Ancillary

    1. Most Servant-Hearted Attendee

    2. Best Shoes


Teams are required to determine any distribution of award funding amongst members of the team themselves. Gloo is not responsible for any dispute regarding award funding dispersal or use.

We reserve the right to award additional prizes or change the prizes prior to the event, at our sole discretion, provided that the value of the prizes specified here shall not decrease. Final prize categories and amounts will be available before the start of the hackathon.


PRIZE CONDITIONS

Your odds of winning a prize will depend on the number of eligible entries received (estimated 40), the quality of the entries, and the level of skill of the participants.

If you or your team is confirmed as a winner:

  • You may not designate someone else or another team as the winner;

  • You agree to provide Gloo with a complete W9 or applicable document including the legal name, address, and social security number/tax ID as well as other information requested for tax reporting purposes, of each Participant;

  • If you/your team accepts a prize, you and each team member agrees to self report to applicable taxing authorities, as may be required by applicable laws, and will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes and costs related to accepting and using the prize; and You and team members will participate in media interviews as requested by Gloo.

Prize monies should be retained by individuals only in conformity with any applicable policies of his or her employers, academic institutions, or government regarding participation in and receipt of promotional consideration relating to the Hackathon and receipt and retention of prize. If a government, employer’s or school’s policies are applicable, it is the Participant’s sole and ultimate responsibility, in consultation with his or her government, employer or school, to determine how and if prize will be retained and/or distributed and accounted for and we assume no responsibility for the decisions made by such government, employers or schools regarding this issue.


TAXES 

Prize winners are responsible for paying any taxes on their prize winnings, if applicable.


HOW WILL MY ENTRY POTENTIALLY BE USED?

Other than what is set forth below, we are not claiming any rights to own or use your entry. 

By submitting your entry, you:

  • Agree to allow Gloo AI & the Church Hackathon panel of judges to feature your Entry for purposes of judging, awarding prizes, and evaluating for additional acceleration funding.

  • Agree to assist us and our representatives in the creation of case studies or white papers (together "Studies") detailing your Entry or Entries. Studies will not include any confidential Participant information. Upon your approval of the Studies’ accuracy, you give us permission to display the Studies, including trademarks, logos, and other identifying information contained in it, on our websites and in other marketing materials. The marketing materials may take various forms, including printed materials, online articles, video, audio, and other digital recordings;

  • Understand and acknowledge that Gloo or other entrants may have developed or commissioned materials similar or identical to your Entry and you/your team waive any claims you may have resulting from any similarities to your Entry;

  • Understand that we cannot control the incoming information you will disclose to us or our representatives in the course of entering, or what we or our representatives will remember about your Entry. You also understand that we will not restrict work assignments of representatives who have had access to your Entry. By entering this Hackathon, you agree that use of information in our representatives unaided memories in the development or deployment of our products or services does not create liability for us;

  • Understand that you will not receive any compensation or credit from us for use of your Entry, other than what is described in these Official Rules or further agreed upon in a partnership with Gloo. This provision does not limit any compensation you may receive through us or third parties as a result of your use or marketing or profiting from the application beyond this Hackathon or as provided in these Official Rules.


Please note that following the end of this Hackathon you, your team, and your Entry (excluding publication of any code or proprietary information) may be publicized as participating in the Hackathon, including distribution online or via media or posting on our site or a third-party website. We are not responsible for any unauthorized use of your Entry by those accessing or viewing your Entry. While we reserve these rights, we are not obligated to use your Entry for any purpose, even if it has been selected as a winning Entry.


CODE OF CONDUCT 

As participants in the Gloo AI Hackathon, we commit to fostering a community that upholds the values of respect, integrity, and compassion. We believe in the transformative power of technology to serve the Church, and strive to conduct ourselves in a manner reflective of our faith. All participants must agree to abide by the following principles:

  • Respect and Dignity: Treat all participants, organizers, and stakeholders with respect and dignity. Offensive language, harassment, or any form of discrimination will not be tolerated.

  • Honesty and Integrity: Engage in honest and transparent practices throughout the hackathon. Lying, cheating, or any forms of deception are strictly prohibited.

  • Collaboration and Teamwork: Foster an environment of collaboration and teamwork, recognizing the unique gifts and contributions of each individual.

  • Ethical Use of Technology: Adhere to ethical standards in technology development, respecting legal, privacy, and community guidelines, and aligning  Gloo’s Acceptable Use Policy.

  • Stewardship of Resources: Respect and responsibly use all resources, including personal property, tools, software, and assets.

  • Compliance with Rules: Comply with all rules, regulations, and guidelines outlined for the event, including eligibility, solution entry standards, and intellectual property rights.

  • Positive Participation: Actively participate and contribute positively to the community, embracing the mission and vision of the hackathon to leverage AI for the greater good of the Church.

By participating in the Gloo AI Hackathon, you agree to abide by this Code of Conduct and acknowledge that failure to do so may result in disqualification from the event.

This code of conduct is designed to create a positive and inclusive environment that aligns with Christian values and ensures a productive and enjoyable experience for all participants.