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Benin Multimodal AI Hackathon

Explore Innovations in Language Processing and Image Generation!

🕒 72 hours to complete the challenge.


💡 Create revolutionary tourism and culture apps.


🤝 Take part alone or form a team with other participants.


🚀 The final project can be used for your portfolio, and the startup application to the Slingshot accelerator.


🏆 Win prizes Online and On-site; cash, cloud credits, incubation & collaboration opportunities to develop your project further!


🖥️ Join our on-site hackathon at Palais des congrès, Cotonou, Benin, starting 8:00 AM! Register now to secure your spot. Please note that we have limited capacity, with only 100 spots available, so it's first come, first served.


🌐 Can't make it in person? No worries! Participate online from anywhere in the world! Register now to join the action.


🏆 Don't miss the moment when on-site winners are announced during the opening ceremony of the SENIA conference!

Benin Multimodal AI Hackathon event thumbnail
About Organizers
This event is organized with major support from our esteemed partners, who play a crucial role in making it a success.
Ministry of Digital Affairs of Benin:
The Ministry of Digital Affairs of Benin plays a major role in developing the digital landscape of the country, promising technological growth.
Sèmè City:
Defined as an innovation hub and tech park in Benin.
Agency for Information Systems and Digital Technology:
This organization promotes and implements digital technologies  Benin, enhancing the growth of the nation's digital infrastructure.
RADIO BENIN ALAFIA
RADIO BENIN ALAFIA enjoys widespread listenership and plays a crucial role in spreading educational content to its listeners
Isheero:
Isheero is committed to promoting AI in Benin. They focus on educational initiatives and community-driven projects to foster AI development.

Suggested Technologies

Technologies Support Materials

We recognize the challenge the lack of data in local languages can pose to the participants during the Benin Multimodal AI Hackathon. To address this, we've prepared comprehensive support materials to accelerate development:


  • AI Technologies: Basic examples for implementing key AI technologies like image generation, LLMs, and TTS.

  • Translation Models: A collection of translation models that can handle the tasks of translating between Yoruba, Fon, English, and French.

  • Speech Recognition Models: A collection of models for speech recognition in Fon and Yoruba, along with a directory of English and Dendi audio and text files for tasks like fine-tuning.



These resources empower participants to make swift progress in their projects, bridging the gap between local languages and AI technologies by enabling input and output in these languages. They are designed to help participants prototype and create proof of concepts, ultimately laying the groundwork for developing these technologies more thoroughly in the future.

Hackathon Challenge

Categories

Once you've selected your challenge(s), take the next step by choosing the category or categories where you'll bring your AI application to life. Your choice will shape how you contribute to:


🌍 Cultural Preservation: Preserve local languages with AI, nurturing cultural appreciation and sustainability in tourism and agriculture.


🌱 Sustainable Agriculture: Innovate sustainable practices with AI visuals in Fon, Yoruba, and Dendi to aid farmer communication and resource management.


🏞️ Tourism: Boost eco-tourism using AI visuals in local languages, showcasing unique heritage to attract visitors and drive sustainable tourism.


Let's make a difference together!

Judging Criteria
Application of Technology
How effectively the chosen model(s) are integrated into the solution.
Presentation
The clarity and effectiveness of the project presentation.
Business Value
The potential impact and practical value of the solution.
Originality
Uniqueness and creativity in addressing the challenge.

Prizes

Cash Prizes:

Online:

🥇 1st Place:  💰 EUR 3,000

🥈 2nd Place: 💰EUR 2,000

🥉 3rd Place:  💰EUR 1,000

On-site:

🥇 1st Place:  💰 EUR 3,000

🥈 2nd Place: 💰EUR 2,000

🥉 3rd Place:  💰EUR 1,000

Further Prizes:

👉 Incubation and Mentorship in Sèmè City: Receive incubation support including access to mentors, networking opportunities, and possibility to refine your project into market-ready product.
 (The incubation program welcomes applications from individuals regardless of their current location; however, successful applicants must be willing to relocate or be based in Benin during the program duration).

👉 Cloud Computing Credits: Receive cloud credits from major providers like Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure (Startupfounder) for creating a truly impactful app.

👉 Collaboration Opportunities: Collaborate with local organizations, research institutions, or government agencies for developing your project.

Please be aware that participation in lablab.ai hackathons is voluntary and subject to the specific rules and conditions outlined for each event. While we strive to provide a fair and rewarding experience for all participants, we cannot guarantee entry or success in securing prizes. All prizes and opportunities are subject to availability and participants must meet the established criteria to qualify. lablab.ai is not responsible nor held liable for any commitments or offers - including programs, giveaways, or prizes - made by third-party sponsors or partners of the hackathon. The availability and delivery of third-party prizes or benefits are solely at the discretion of the respective sponsors and are not guaranteed by lablab.ai. We reserve the right to make amendments, modifications, or cancellations to any part of the hackathon (including full cancellation of the event itself), including prizes and terms of participation, at our sole discretion. Whenever possible, we will endeavor to notify participants of significant changes within a reasonable timeframe. All submissions by participants must be original work, open source, and compliant with the MIT License unless specified otherwise. By participating, you agree to these terms, the overall event terms, and the lablab.ai general terms and are encouraged to review all event-related information carefully. Prize Distribution: lablab.ai and its partners reserve the right to distribute all prizes within a 90-day period following the end date of the hackathon. This period allows for the proper processing and verification needed to award prizes appropriately.

This Hackathon is for you if:
You are a tech enthusiast:
Apply AI to natural language processing, computer vision, and cultural preservation, especially within the context of African languages. 
You are a developer, data scientists, or engineer:
Engage in solving unique tech challenges and contribute directly to African tech growth through innovative and valuable applications.
You are a cultural advocate:
Join to use techs for preserving and promoting African languages and cultural heritage, collaborating with other interested people.

Event Schedule

  • To be announced
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