Hackathon 2025

ne of the most common questions amongst the older generations across the globe is “where is the future going with the current generations in charge?” I am sure that this same concern is expressed in a cyclical manner as one generation faces its end and the next generation faces its start. A key aspect of the future will no doubt be AI and its impact on society and how we will manage the rise of this technology in a world where empathy and compassion are being suppressed in favour of competition and the search for wealth.

This is the second year that St Mary’s DSG has participated in this event and once again our students made us proud and showed us exactly what they will be capable of in the future. The event is aimed at identifying practical applications of AI to societal problems. The focus of this year’s Hackathon was possible AI driven solutions to youth unemployment, urbanisation, water management and education access. The teams produced well-considered and thoughtful solutions in each of these spheres respectively and while they did not make it into the top 10 this year, they showed real determination and immersion in the project. Some of the project titles included:

• AI in water management by the BP Garage group
• Survey with madiba.co.za by the Madiba Mainframes
• Future Proof by Serenity

The students showed, most of all, how social reform and empathy can be incorporated into AI and machine learning and so produce a more effective society than currently exists by allowing machines to do data-driven processes while humans focus on the connections and improvement of the everyday lives of the people around them.

I would like to thank the following students for their participation, engagement and positive approach in the lead-up and in the execution of their projects:

If this is to be the built future, then I am excited to be a part of it. Thank you young Hackathon people!