MIT Ignite: Generative AI Entrepreneurship Competition seeks to foster innovative projects within the realm of generative AI. All MIT undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, are invited to submit their transformative ideas. This competition is your platform to present projects that could significantly influence sectors such as climate sustainability, human health, workforce dynamics, and ethical AI deployment, and more.

The projects with the highest potential for real-world impact and innovative applications of generative AI will be recognized with awards and will have the opportunity to further develop their ideas with the support of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship and the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab.

Topic areas for innovative projects include:

• Climate and Sustainability
• Human Health, Medicine, and the Life Sciences
• The Workforce and the Global Economy
• Cybersecurity and Privacy
• Hardware Devices
• K–12 and Higher Education
• The Ethical Deployment of Products
• Design, Creativity, and Human Augmentation
• Urban Planning and The Built Environment
• Income Inequality
• Other

How to Apply

MIT Ignite: Generative AI Entrepreneurship Competition is a team-based competition. Teams should be composed of 2 to 5 currently enrolled students or post-docs, of which at least two must be currently enrolled MIT students (undergraduate or graduate) or MIT post-docs.

To participate, please follow these steps:

• Interest Form: Please complete our brief interest form as a first step by Friday, September 22 at 5:00pm.
• Project Overview: Prepare a brief project overview, describing the core technology, problem it addresses, and potential impact
• Team Profile: Compile a team profile that includes team member names, roles, and brief biographies. If applicable, please include any relevant past work or experiences in the field of generative AI.
• Application: Submit the overview and team profile through our online application by Monday, October 2nd at 5:00 pm. Early submissions are encouraged.

Selected teams will be contacted by Monday, October 16 and asked to present their project to MIT leadership, faculty, and industry leaders. Selected teams will need to prepare a 2-minute presentation showcasing the project, its potential, and the team’s ability to execute the plan.

Prizes

MIT Ignite: Generative AI Entrepreneurship Competition is both a platform to showcase your innovative ideas and a chance to secure resources to make those ideas a reality.

This competition, sponsored by the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, offers prizes for successful teams. We are committed to recognizing and rewarding innovation, creativity, and potential impact.

• 5 MIT Ignite Flagship Prizes: $15,000 per team
• Special first-year undergraduate student team MIT Ignite Flagship Prize
• Several runners-up prizes

Timeline

The key dates for the 2023-24 school year are:

• Wednesday, August 30: Applications open. Submissions are welcome from all eligible participants.
• Monday, October 2: Applications close at 5:00 pm Eastern. Apply online.
• Monday, October 16: Teams notified of status if moving on to present to judging committee.
• Monday, October 30, 3:00 – 5:30 pm: Selected teams will present to the judging committee. Flagship Prizes will be awarded based on presentations.

In addition to the competition in the fall, we encourage prize winning teams to participate during IAP in January in the StartMIT or MIT Fuse programs and to apply to MIT delta v, the Trust Center’s summer accelerator.

For FAQ and more information, visit the MIT Ignite site.