JiVS Hackathon @Davos 2025—AI That Serves People and Companies

Around 40 developers from Algeria, Dubai, Germany, Canada, Austria, Switzerland, the USA, etc. competed for the prize money of 5,000 Swiss francs. The winner of the prize money offered by DMI was Team Inspect, which developed an AI-based image recognition and analysis system for avalanche detection and risk assessment. The task was set by the Swiss WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF), which was a member of the prize jury along with DMI, SAP Switzerland, and Lab42.

AI detects avalanche risk

The time between recognizing a dangerous avalanche situation and taking appropriate action is critical. The shorter the time, the lower the risk to people. For some time now, the SLF has been looking for a solution to speed up the currently paper-based process of recording and assessing avalanche situations. The idea was to use AI to automatically evaluate photos taken by mountain guides with their smartphones. In just 36 hours, the winning team used existing AI models and algorithms for driverless driving to develop a solution that impressed the judges. For example, the solution can determine whether a dust avalanche is a harmless local event or a harbinger of a dangerous situation in a larger area that needs to be addressed with closures and blasting. Second place went to Team Strike, which solved a challenge set by sponsor DMI.

Companies migrating to a new generation of software, such as S/4, must change the structure of their data in order to transfer it to the new system. Solving this task at the level of the data itself is error-prone. The way through the application level is more reliable, but requires business objects. If new ones need to be created, it takes time and effort and requires a good deal of expertise. Team Strike's solution uses AI-powered chatbots to suggest the design of the objects and help with implementation—all using natural language input. "We will certainly incorporate this approach into our own product development," emphasized Thomas Failer, founder and CEO of DMI.

Humanoid AI robots

Third place went to Team Sigma, which developed an AI chatbot to control the latest humanoid robots using natural language input. The solution was not only presented to the judges, but also tested in Davos. The team took the robot for a walk along the promenade and gave it various tasks. "Humanoid robots like this will soon find their way into the service sector, including hospitals and care facilities," says Thomas Failer. The highlight for the hacker teams was their participation in the evening event of the Digital Lounge @Davos 2025 on January 22 at the Guggerbach Center in Davos. There, they benefited from discussions with leading Swiss and international AI experts and were able to network with potential future employers.

Thomas Failer invited around 100 managers from Swiss and international companies to the Digital Lounge. Together with leading researchers, they discussed the status and future of AI development, realistic application scenarios, as well as the opportunities and limitations of this technology. "AI offers a fantastic opportunity for mature but aging societies and economies like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. We can become much more productive if we use the automation potential of AI—and I'm not just referring to generative AI here—to solve specific problems. This will keep us competitive in the long term and make us attractive to urgently needed young talent," Thomas Failer is convinced. Thomas Failer plans to repeat the event next year. The next conference and hackathon is already scheduled for August 8 at the Digital Lounge @Lakeside 2025 at Seeburg Castle in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.

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