Deloitte Guilds are Shaping the Future of Learning
Exploring rapid AI innovation by developing an AI agent in 2.5 days
Inspiration behind the Hackathon
The technological landscape is ever evolving, presenting both exciting opportunities and persistent challenges. To engage Deloitte technologists in exploring AI’s potential across diverse industries, the Deloitte Guilds organized a hackathon to specifically address this frontier. The goals were to foster rapid experimentation, uncover novel applications that could impact industries, and reimagine the future of learning for Deloitte practitioners.
To achieve this vision, the Deloitte Guilds, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), organized a live in-person hackathon called Winner’s Circle. This event provided a meaningful hands-on experience leveraging the latest developments in Generative AI to help participants push the boundaries of artificial intelligence.
Teams were directed to develop an AI agent capable of ingesting inputs and producing outputs in multiple formats for application in an industry or function of their choice. Additionally, teams were tasked with delivering a pitch and solution demonstration in front of judges and their peers. From this challenge, we hoped to uncover groundbreaking solutions that can be implemented in real-world scenarios.
Welcome to Winner’s Circle
On April 13th, 42 technologists from across the US arrived at Deloitte University and were divided into teams of 4-5. These technologists were prior hackathon winners and high-performing engineering and AI professionals with varying levels of AWS expertise. They all shared one mission: shaping the future of innovation by hacking agentic AI solutions over 2.5 days at Winner’s Circle.
The event kicked off with a keynote from Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Chief Technology Officer, Bill Briggs, and an announcement of prizes to be awarded to winning teams. Given the condensed timeframe and the competitive nature of Winner’s Circle, teams immediately convened to ideate on solutions.
Winner’s Circle outcomes
48 hours after kickoff, the results were outstanding: 10 architecture demos were developed and pitched to the panel of judges, spanning across industries like healthcare, travel, and financial services. All prototypes were sophisticated, multi-agent architectures that leveraged AWS.
The top emerging solutions addressed personalized marketing, talent and management collaboration, and supplier data compliance. These solutions showcased the diverse applications of AI technology, and exhibited their teams’ intersection of interests, collaboration, and technological expertise.
The professionals behind these solutions brought a wealth of knowledge and experience, contributing to the hackathon’s overall success. Their collaborative efforts resulted in impressive AI agents that could revolutionize their respective fields.
“I have participated in several virtual hackathons, and nothing compares to this live experience. The immersive experience made it easy to push the limits and challenge our capabilities without distractions. It also made working with the new team easy because we all had a common focus and commitment to win. We fed on each other’s energy and that made the experience more enjoyable.” —Winner’s Circle participant.
Hackathon impact and future implications
Winner’s Circle demonstrated the high impact of developing in-person and time-bound intensive learning experiences. Technologists entered the hackathon with varying technical skills and left having built something tangible on the AWS platform in just 2.5 days.
The impact of Winner’s Circle extends beyond the event. The solutions that were developed have the potential to transform industries and address real-world challenges, and the hackathon serves as a catalyst for future collaborations and innovations, paving the way for a brighter, more technologically advanced future. In fact, upon the conclusion of Winner’s Circle, the excitement and anticipation for the next event has started to build with the anticipation of more groundbreaking solutions and inspiring experiences.
Hackathons are a dynamic way to learn and engage with technology, fostering innovation, and collaboration. As we think about learning experiences in the future, here are a few ways organizations may evolve the traditional hackathon:
1. Facilitate longer-term, focused “Labs” with embedded learning pathways. This could look like week-to-month-long immersive experiences centered around specific emerging technologies. Each lab could integrate structured learnings such as mini courses, expert-led workshops, or mentorship opportunities woven into the project development process. Participants would actively learn while building, thereby deepening subject matter expertise.
2. Expand hackathon scope and admission to larger participant pool to enable global collaboration. This approach can include team members from different regions and time zones, leverage global perspectives and round-the-clock iteration, provide exposure to international tech trends, encourage cross-cultural communication, and enhance problem-solving skills in a global context.
3. Provide AI-Powered personalized learning journeys with collaborative project hubs. Organizations may leverage an AI platform that could assess talent skills and career goals against organizational needs to curate unique learning paths that would integrate various academic and human capital resources. This platform could also connect learners with similar skill gaps or interests to form project-based learning teams (collaborative project hubs) focused on ongoing projects to address real organizational challenges. The AI could also provide feedback, resources, and additional guidance towards optimal outcomes while fostering growth and community amongst learners.
How will your organization find ways to challenge the status quo? Let us know in the comments!
—Christine Singh, Deloitte Guilds PMO Senior Consultant
