DDDI honors Penn graduate students Shriya Ramakrishnan, Manvi Kaul, Emma Jin, and Zahra Khodakarami with the Generative AI for Social Good Award for their hackathon project CEPASSISTANT, a personal AI interpreter to assist the estimated 17 million people living with cerebral palsy. CEPASSISTANT utilizes audio-to-text and predictive text modules to lower the barrier for those affected by cerebral palsy to communicate with caretakers and others around them. (Award details below.)
The student-led hackathon, organized by Rose Wang (Wharton class of 2025), was held February 16th-17th in Tangen Hall and provided students across Penn’s ecosystem with the opportunity to learn, build, and create Gen AI based applications. Teams from a variety of disciplines were in attendance and there was a particularly strong showing of entries in the DDDI social impact award category. DDDI would like to thank each of the teams who participated in this award category for their thoughtful and innovative contributions to making a positive impact on the world with generative AI.
DDDI’s Generative AI for Social Good Award
$500 donation to charity sponsored by the Data Driven Discovery Initiative
The Generative AI for Social Good Award honors the Generative AI Hackathon project that demonstrates the greatest potential to contribute to the public good. This award aims to encourage participants to leverage the power of generative AI to address societal challenges and improve the well-being of communities on a local, national, or global scale.
Criteria
Societal Impact
Projects must focus on addressing a societal challenge that has a broad impact on the well-being of a large number of people. Potential areas of impact include, but are not limited to, health, public safety, justice, clean air and water, education, employment, transit, and political representation.
Innovative Use of Generative AI
Submissions should showcase the development or innovative use of generative AI methods. This could involve working with large datasets, employing modern analytical/statistical methods, or requiring computationally intensive processes. The use of generative AI should be central to the project’s approach and potential impact.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Collaborations between generative AI experts and domain specialists in the chosen societal challenge area are especially encouraged.
Geographic Scope
Projects focusing on Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley are highly encouraged, but submissions addressing national and global issues are also welcomed. The award aims to support initiatives with a wide-ranging societal impact, irrespective of geographic boundaries.
Ethical Considerations
Projects must adhere to ethical guidelines in the use of generative AI, ensuring that the technology is employed responsibly and with respect for privacy, fairness, and transparency.
Feasibility and Scalability
Submissions should outline a clear plan for the implementation and scalability of the proposed solution, demonstrating the potential for real-world impact beyond the hackathon setting.
The Generative AI for Social Good Award aims to inspire participants to think creatively, collaborate effectively, and harness the potential of generative AI to address pressing societal challenges. The winning project will embody innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to making a positive difference in the world.
Award
Endowment of the award entails a $500 donation to a charity of the winning project’s choosing.
The charity must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in good standing, formed for a charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purpose, with a mission that broadly aligns with the goals of this award as judged by the Data Driven Discovery Initiative’s leadership team.