Improving public safety through responsible AI innovation is the focus of the Innovate Alabama Entrepreneurship Hackathon 2025-2026. Scheduled for Thursday, January 29, in Birmingham, the Hackathon is the culmination of a statewide challenge to students at Alabama colleges and universities to propose responsible AI-driven solutions to public safety issues affecting communities throughout the state.
Presented by Innovate Alabama and The Alabama Collective, in partnership with the Alabama Power Foundation, the Hackathon will feature pitches from 10 finalists selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants. A total of 81 students from eight schools participated, in teams that collectively submitted 33 projects for consideration — the most applications in the three-year history of the Hackathon.
For this year’s competition, the Hackathon solicited business concepts that use AI to address public safety challenges, with an emphasis on equity, innovation and long-term impact. The overall objective is to use artificial intelligence responsibly to enhance safety, deepen community trust and support sustainable workforce advancements and economic development.
