How Should Hackathons Change in the AI Era?

GDG on Campus and 18 universities held the ONE WAVE hackathon in February 2026, drawing 160 participants across 35 teams.

The event was redesigned for the AI era: faster prototyping was encouraged, while problem definition and planning carried more weight than raw coding speed.

Deployment was made optional, and judging prioritized service design and feasibility over code volume.

Organizers also automated repetitive tasks such as participant management, team matching, and score aggregation with AI.

With youth unemployment as the theme, teams proposed services focused on validation, hands-on execution, strategy, and mental health.