The challenge at the event, held in September, was to identify a real-world business or societal process or task and present the initial proof of concept for how the activity could be streamlined using generative AI.
It involved over 700 teams, comprising 4291 participants from 128 countries.
Shohail’s project for the hackathon was an AI tool called TaxGenie that simplifies tax filing for Canadian businesses and individuals by using IBM watsonx Orchestrate. It does this with AI-driven OCR, data extraction, form-filling and data validation, which awarded him 5th place in the competition. His prize included free tickets to IBM TechXchange Conference 2024, recognition on stage in front of over 2000 attendants, and merchandise including a backpack, hoodie, and bottle.
Shohail was in a team with the Director of a Canadian company, not a student, therefore, all of the implementation of the project and the final submission was completed by Shohail by himself.
The IBM TechXchange Conference was held in Las Vegas in October and is the largest IBM learning event of the year. Advancing professional growth was at the forefront of the agenda, with instructor-led labs, hackathons, and professional development activities taking place.
Shohail said: “At the event, I was thrilled to meet so many industry leaders in computer science and network with them, as well as experimenting with cutting-edge technology, which has only increased my drive and passion for this field.”
Visit Shohail’s LinkedIn page for more about his experiences at the IBM hackathon and Conference.