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Jamaica’s tech talent shone at the Intellibus Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hackathon, where more than 700 participants raced against the clock for US$15,000 in prizes and career opportunities.
Hosted at the National Arena in Kingston over the weekend, the event was held in partnership with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), under the theme ‘Build, Innovate and Win’.
Addressing the awards ceremony on Sunday (March 15), Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador the Hon. Audrey Marks, praised the participants for using technology to develop practical solutions.
“When I started Paymaster, innovations in technology was still a rarity. I was one of the first persons to use the Internet for commercial purposes. Today, as I’m looking at what is happening in Jamaica with these hackathons, I’m believing that there will be so many more innovators using technology to create businesses, and I’m feeling very enthused,” she said.
Ambassador Marks encouraged participants to continue building solutions that address national challenges.
“The prototypes you created, the problems you tackled and the teamwork you demonstrated are all part of something bigger. You are part of a generation that will help position Jamaica as a global player in technology, innovation and AI-driven services. If the creativity, determination, and energy we have seen here this weekend is any indication, Jamaica’s digital future is incredibly bright,” Ambassador Marks said.
Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador the Hon. Audrey Marks (left), listens to Founder of Intellibus, Ed Watal, at the Intellibus Artificial Intelligence (Al) Hackathon awards ceremony, held at the National Arena in Kingston, on Sunday (March 15).The hacking phase lasted for 24 hours, from 2:00 p.m. on Saturday to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
First place with a prize of US$5,000 was awarded to Fingers Cramped, whose AI-powered investigative assistance platform is designed to help Jamaican law enforcement identify and locate missing and wanted persons faster.
Second place went to Reggae Coders, who earned US$3,000 for their initiative which tackles nautical safety with a maritime emergency and rescue platform.
Team YOLO V8 secured third place and a US$2,000 prize for their AI Traffic Jamaica solution, which transforms passive traffic cameras into intelligent sensors.
Creative Kids Learning Academy and Holmwood Technical High School copped the prize for best under-13 team and best under-16 team, respectively, while St. George’s College received the prize for best high-school team.
At the end of the hackathon, 15 participants were fast-tracked for jobs, 15 were offered internships and 30 were selected for the Intellibus AI Academy.
In her remarks, Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Gail Ranglin Edwards, said she was very impressed with the brilliance and the level of innovation shown by the participants.
“I applaud you for investing in the youth in Jamaica and just thinking that there is more that we can offer as a nation,” Dr. Ranglin Edwards said.
She challenged Intellibus to partner with other organisations, like the University of the West Indies, to create a catalyst hub to ensure that there is continued collaboration and contact with Jamaica’s youth.
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