U-M student part of winning team in IBM Call-for-Code Global Challenge

University of Michigan computer science undergraduate Alan Hou, along with his teammates from Georgia Institute of Technology, have been named the Grand Prize winners of the 2024 IBM Call for Code Global Challenge. Their winning project, Rita, is an AI-powered tool designed to address educational inequality by providing customizable dashboards for teachers, particularly those in under-resourced schools in Taiwan.

Call for Code, an annual initiative held by IBM, challenges developers and problem solvers worldwide to create technological solutions for pressing global issues. This year, the focus was on leveraging AI to improve equitable access to essential needs, including education. Hou and his team’s project addressed this theme by using IBM watsonx.ai to develop a tool that simplifies and enhances the educational planning process for teachers.

The genesis of Rita stems from the team’s recognition of the unique challenges faced by educators in Taiwan, particularly in rural areas where teachers often need to cover multiple subjects with limited resources. Rita, an AI-powered teaching assistant, helps teachers generate worksheets, create lesson plans, and take notes more efficiently. Educators can interact with various widgets within the AI dashboard to tailor resources to their specific needs, thereby saving time and enhancing the quality of instruction.

Alan’s contribution to the development of Rita focused on designing the AI workflow and pipeline. “Initially, we had just one AI agent handling all requests, but we faced challenges with specificity and response quality,” he described. “We then divided the workflow into three major steps, each managed by a different agent, which significantly improved the functionality of the system.”

Alan shared that interviewing teachers and gathering their feedback was a critical part of designing and refining Rita. These insights allowed the team to fine-tune the application to better serve educators’ real-world needs. Looking ahead, the team aims to expand the app’s capabilities to support a broader range of courses and potentially translate the interface into other languages, making it accessible to teachers beyond Taiwan.

Winning the Grand Prize in such a prestigious competition came as an exciting surprise to Alan and his team. The victory not only validates the impact of their solution but also opens doors for further development and deployment. In addition to the $50,000 Grand Prize, the team’s universities will each receive $15,000 in grant funds to support continued research and innovation.

Reflecting on his journey, Alan acknowledged the learning curve he faced in developing Rita. “I did not have a strong AI background before this project,” he said “I had to learn a lot on the go, which was challenging but also very rewarding.”

Alan’s hands-on experience working on Rita has not only honed his technical skills but also fueled his passion for using technology to solve real-world problems. As he prepares for his final semester at U-M, he is looking forward to pursuing a career in software engineering and possibly furthering his education with a master’s degree after gaining some industry experience.

Alan and his team’s innovative spirit, coupled with their drive to address educational inequities, exemplifies the transformative potential of tech-for-good initiatives, as well as underscoring the power of AI to drive meaningful change.