IBM has launched the AI Builders Challenge, a global initiative designed to help university students gain practical AI and software development experience using IBM Bob, the company’s AI-powered development partner. The challenge aims to prepare students for the growing demand for AI fluency in the modern workforce.
IBM announced the AI Builders Challenge during its Future of AI in Higher Education Summit in New York City. The initiative is designed to help address the growing gap between employer expectations for AI skills and student preparedness entering the workforce.
According to IBM, the challenge responds to findings from a recent survey conducted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and Elon University, where 63% of faculty said graduates were not very or not at all prepared to use generative AI in professional environments.
The program gives students hands-on opportunities to apply AI in practical software development scenarios while creating projects they can showcase to potential employers.
At the same time, IBM announced the expansion of free access to IBM Bob across 20,000 post-secondary institutions worldwide as part of its broader AI education strategy.
Through IBM SkillsBuild, participants will use IBM Bob in challenge-based software development projects centered on real-world themes such as:
IBM stated that unlike earlier AI coding tools focused mainly on code generation, IBM Bob supports developers throughout the full software development lifecycle, including orchestration, governance, execution, and modernization workflows.
The company said the challenge is intended to help students understand how AI can support software engineering tasks while also teaching them how to evaluate outputs, explain decisions, and manage AI-assisted workflows responsibly.
"AI is now part of how work gets done, and students entering the workforce need to know how to use it effectively and responsibly," said Justina Nixon-Saintil, Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, IBM. "That means knowing how to question what an AI tool produces, explain the decisions made behind their work and take ownership of the output. The AI Builders Challenge gives university students practical experience building AI skills with IBM Bob, while helping them create portfolio-ready projects that show employers they are prepared for an AI-driven economy."
The challenge, organized by BeMyApp, is open to eligible university students aged 18 and older across participating countries and welcomes participants from all academic disciplines.
Students can participate individually or in teams, submit projects through GitHub, and access support through Discord communities, mentors, webinars, and office hours.
Winning projects will be evaluated based on technical execution, innovation, feasibility, and alignment with challenge themes.
IBM announced a total prize pool of $15,000 USD, including a $5,000 Grand Prize for the top overall project. Two monthly competitions will award additional prizes ranging from $750 to $2,250 USD.
The Grand Prize winner will also receive an invitation to IBM TechXchange, the company’s global conference focused on software development, engineering, AI, and research communities.
The initiative supports IBM’s long-term commitment to skill 30 million people by 2030 while helping universities move beyond AI literacy toward AI fluency through hands-on learning experiences, digital credentials, and practical project development.
Registration for the AI Builders Challenge opened on June 3, with competitions beginning on July 1 and August 1.
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