CreAIthon
An AI-focused challenge — build a model, agent or tool that creates real value.
Up to 4 students per team
7–18 years old
CreAIthon is a time-boxed, no-code (or low-code) generative-AI storytelling hackathon. Teams create a complete digital media piece—e.g., short film, comic/illustrated book, animation, audio story, or visual novel—within ~24 hours using AI tools responsibly and transparently. Participants must cite all models, prompts, and sources, and are judged on originality, narrative impact, craft, technical implementation, and ethical/professional AI usage. (Media projects only; app development isn’t the goal here.) Eligibility: Exclusively for secondary and high school students — no university participants.
Judging Criteria
CreAIthon Rubric
Each criterion is scored on a scale of 1 to 5 by the international jury.
- 1 · Needs work
- 2 · Limited
- 3 · Adequate
- 4 · Strong
- 5 · Exceptional
| Criteria | 1 Point | 2 Points | 3 Points | 4 Points | 5 Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. Originality / Creativity | The artwork lacks originality and creativity, resembling common themes. | Limited creativity with minimal innovative elements. | Some creative features, but the overall artwork lacks uniqueness. | Demonstrates creativity with a few original elements. | Exceptional originality and creativity are evident throughout the artwork. |
| 02. Visual Impact | The artwork lacks visual appeal and fails to captivate the viewer. | Limited visual impact; the artwork needs more compelling elements. | The artwork has some visual appeal but lacks overall impact. | Good visual impact with a balance between elements. | Exceptional visual impact; the artwork is visually striking and memorable. |
| 03. Message & Idea | The artwork lacks a clear message or idea, making it difficult to interpret. | Limited message or idea; the concept needs more development. | The artwork conveys a message or idea, but it could be more clearly defined. | Good incorporation of message and idea with room for refinement. | Exceptional integration of a clear and thought-provoking message or idea. |
| 04. Technical Skills | Little evidence of technical skills; the artwork seems beyond the student's abilities. | Basic technical skills demonstrated; significant room for improvement. | Competent technical skills; meets the expected standard. | Strong technical skills displayed with advanced techniques. | Exceptional technical skills; the student demonstrates mastery of digital art concepts. |
| 05. Oral Presentation | Incoherent presentation; lacks structure and clarity. | Presentation is somewhat disorganized and difficult to follow. | Adequate presentation with clear communication but may lack enthusiasm. | Engaging and well-structured presentation; effectively conveys key points. | Exceptional oral presentation with enthusiasm, clarity, and strong engagement. |
| 06. Responsible AI Usage | AI use (if any) is opaque or improper (no credits; licensing/privacy ignored). | Minimal citation; limited oversight; unclear value added by AI. | Cited tools/models and prompts; human review present; generally appropriate. | Transparent, well-justified AI use with editing/validation and compliance. | Exemplary: ethical, transparent AI integration that elevates the product with reproducible process. |
| 07. Narrative Structure & Story Flow | Disjointed; poor pacing; hard to follow. | Uneven flow; confusing transitions or continuity issues. | Coherent structure; pacing mostly works; minor issues. | Well-paced, purposeful scenes or beats; effective transitions. | Expert flow (linear or branching) that sustains engagement throughout. |
registration_status: open
Ready to enter CreAIthon?
Registration for Season 2027 is open until 15 March.
Open the registration portal