Please note that submitting via Google Form does not guarantee attendance at the in-person event at <To be Announced!> - space is limited, entry is granted for approved participants only.
🏃Google DeepMind Hackathon: 6-Hour Sprint
Welcome to the Google DeepMind: Hackathon, a high-velocity building challenge hosted at <To be Announced!> This isn't your typical multi-day event - you have exactly 6 hours to move from a blank IDE to a functional prototype!
Developers and builders (in teams of up to 4) will have 6 hours to build their solution with the mentorship of the Google DeepMind team and GDG Melbourne. You are tasked with identifying a real-world problem and engineering a technical solution. Whether it’s a machine learning model, a web application, or a unique API integration, the goal is execution and impact within a condensed time frame.
The day will conclude with each team pitching their project live on stage to a panel of judges, who will evaluate the work based on innovation, technical execution, and impact. All participants must adhere to a professional code of conduct while on-site.
⚖️ Event Rules
Team Size: Maximum of four (4) members per team.
Fresh Start: The majority of code, designs, and assets must be created as part of GDG x GDM Hackathon
Tools: It is a prerequisite to use Google's AI stack in your build. You can couple this with open-source libraries, APIs, and frameworks. Be prepared to disclose your tech stack during submission.
📚 Judging Criteria
To take home the win, your project needs to nail three core areas. Your team will be evaluated on a scale of 1 (Room to Grow) to 5 (Mind Blown) across the following pillars:
- Theme Fit
Your project must fundamentally align with at least one of our four core tracks: Sustainability, Health, Education, or Economy & Infrastructure.
1 (Poor): No clear connection to any pillar; feels forced.
3 (Good): Solid concept that directly addresses a real-world issue within a core pillar.
5 (Excellent): Inspiring alignment. Targets a critical bottleneck and beautifully solves it.
- AI Execution
We want to see how intelligently you leverage the technology. Move past basic API calls and show us true engineering.
1 (Poor): Hard coded responses, broken APIs, or treating AI like a lazy text box.
3 (Good): Smart use of AI Studio UI—think solid system instructions, few-shot examples, or structured JSON.
5 (Excellent): Masterful prompt engineering, multi-modal usage (audio/video), or highly creative architectural workarounds.
- Feasibility & Impact
Don't just sell the dream—show us the reality. Build something that actually works and has the legs to make a difference.
1 (Poor): Pure slide deck or abstract concept with zero working prompts or UI mockups.
3 (Good): Functional core loop. The prototype successfully demonstrates the main AI feature live.
5 (Excellent): Standing ovation material. A highly polished, end-to-end framework that's ready to deploy.
💡 Pro-Tip for Builders: A level 5 project doesn't just have a great idea, it executes it using advanced AI techniques and delivers a working prototype that leaves the judges speechless. Alignment with a core pillar is non-negotiable!
🏆 Prizes
$2,000 cloud credits to 5 winners.
Hackathon winners who are deemed to have a developed a solution that might have national impact, and can demonstrate a pathway to achieving that impact may be able to seek funding through Google Australia's Digital Future Initiative.
Limited edition Google swags!
🛠️ Mentorship
Google mentors will be on-site throughout the day to help you troubleshoot technical blockers and help you "scope down" your project to ensure you finish before the buzzer.
Are you ready to build? Submit your application today!
This is a hybrid event. Join the event virtually at https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-melbourne-presents-google-deepmind-ai-sprint-hackathon-1/
or in person at
Google Melbourne - 695 Collins Street, Docklands, VIC 3008
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Agenda
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Hosted By
Katie Barnett, GDE Android / GDG Organiser
Katie is passionate about all things Android. She has taken on a wide variety of challenging projects including in the live event, media and travel space. Her favourite thing is to see someone having a delightful experience using something she has worked on. Katie is very active in the development community, she is a Google Developer Expert for Android, one of the organisers of GDG Melbourne and is a Women Techmakers Ambassador. She frequently runs events, speaks on technical and non-technical topics and enjoys writing blog posts to share her experience with others. Katie is based in Melbourne, Australia but loves to travel the world and outside of tech she enjoys boardgaming and attempting to finish many craft projects.
Suesi Tran, Senior Flutter Developer
Google Developer Expert in Dart, Flutter & Firebase, Women Techmaker Melbourne ambassador, GDG Melbourne & Flutter Melbourne co-organiser.
In short: Flutter is love, and mobile is life.
Poornima Sivakumar, GDG Organiser
Lovee Jain, GDG Organiser
Lovee is a Software Engineer at Prezzee, a GDG Melbourne Organiser and also a Women Techmakers Ambassador. A tech inquisitive philomath, she loves problem solving and solution design. She has worked at a city council where she developed a lot of useful system integrations and while at Prezzee she develops and works on multiple gift card solutions to cater the B2B2C market.
Zach Jensz, GDG Organiser
Passionate about the web, seamless UX and accessibility. I love attending meetups, find me and come say hi!
Ujjawal Raj, GDG Organiser
Bramley Turner-Jones, GDG Organiser
Yuba Raj (UV) Panta, GDG Organiser
Kartik Arora, Android Engineer
Google Developer Expert in Android
Android Engineer @ Bilue
Carolyn Ai Chi Wong,
Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-melbourne-presents-google-deepmind-ai-sprint-hackathon-1/.
