The Problem of Online Hate

A Hybrid Tech and Policy Hackathon
March 18-24, 2023

Hacking4Humanity 2023 was a hybrid hackathon with virtual work and an in-person competition on March 24 at Duquesne University's Power Center. The Grefenstette Center held the event in collaboration with partner organizations at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

We congratulate the winners and thank all the participants, advisors, judges, and sponsors!

Stay tuned for Hacking4Humanity 2024!

Winners

Policy Track Winners

Runner Up, Common Good Award: “Tackling Online Hate with Hate Hygiene Index.” By Team PoRK: Peem Lerdputtipongporn, Natharat Mongkolsinh, Oravee Smithiphol, Pattamon Lekmanee (Students from Carnegie Mellon University).

Grand Prize Award: “Protecting Victims of Hateful, Non-consensual Deepfake Pornography (NDP).” By Team MERD NERDS: Myles Cramer, Ryan Druffner, Emmaline Rial, and Dan Rudy (Students from University of Pittsburgh).

Tech Track Winners

Runner Up, Common Good Award: “Redesigning Send.” By Team Hater Deflators: Emily Brozeski and Tessa Datte (Students from Duquesne University).

Grand Prize Award: “SpeechWatch Video Browser Extension.” By Mihir Dhamankar (Student from Carnegie Mellon University).

Advisors                        

Stephen Ellis, Software Engineer, Google
Tyler Smith, Software Engineer, Google
Kevin Hanshaw, Solutions Consultant, Google
Qifan He, Software Engineer, Google
Jonathan Rubin, Engineering Manager, Google
Chris Pearlman, Senior Technical Account Manager, Google
Debbie Heneghan, Account Executive, Google
Eric Schulte, Software Engineer, Google
Candice Biernesser, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh

Judges

Ross Reilly, Developer with the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center
Julia Santucci, Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies, Director of the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership and Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum
Michael Miller Yoder, Postdoctoral researcher at the Collaboratory Against Hate and the Center for Informed Democracy and Social Cybersecurity at Carnegie Mellon University
Kasun Amarasinghe, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Carnegie Mellon University Machine Learning Department
Theodore Corcovilos, Associate Professor of Physics, Duquesne University
Katherine Norton, Director of Clinical & International Programs, Assistant Professor of Law, Director of the Family Law Clinic, Duquesne University

Contributing Sponsor

Emerging Leaders in AI and Digital Stewardship Rangos Project at Duquesne University

Organizers

Grefenstette Center for Ethics in Science, Technology, and Law
Pitt Cyber: The Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security
The Center for Informed Democracy and Social-cybersecurity Research Group
The Collaboratory Against Hate Research Group
The Sara Fine Institute

Hacking4Humanity is a tech and policy hackathon for undergraduate and graduate students, which offers students a new way to engage with real-world social problems that can be improved with novel technical and policy solutions. 
Any undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne, and Pitt can participate. No experience needed!
Students can compete in teams of 1-4 people can compete in either the tech track or the policy track, with multiple CASH prizes available in both tracks! Prizes will be announced closer to the event.
The hackathon has two tracks, tech solutions and policy solutions in which teams addressed challenges under the general topic of online hate. When students register, they pick one of the tracks to compete. Each track has its own set of requirements, guidelines, and judges. Tech teams build or plan new tech, like websites, apps, robots, plugins, etc. Policy teams create and write new policies, either improving on old ones, or coming up with new policy guidelines.
Hybrid means that all the day-to-day work of the hackathon is done separately, and all the teams only come together for the day of competition. There is a kickoff virtual event at the beginning of the hackathon and an in-person competition at the end, with food, door prizes, and lots of fun!
Sign up anyway! Good tech requires people of lots of skills to come together--graphic designers, communicators, writers, scientists, and more. We'll be providing lots of resources to help people develop great projects.