How the hackathon works
Days 1–6
Prep Week
Build your bot or defense
→
Day 7
Compete
Test bots vs defenses
Teams are assigned to one of two roles:
Offense: Build bots that attempt to complete a survey.
Defense: Design safeguards to detect or block bots.
Apply solo or as a team of 2–3.
Why participate?
- Applied AI, automation, and survey experience
- Contribute to research on AI and survey methods
- List on your résumé as Michigan–Princeton Survey Defense Hackathon
Awards
Offense
1st & 2nd place
Defense
1st & 2nd place
Judged on cost-effectiveness. All participants acknowledged in published research.
Details
Format
- Fully remote
- Single Saturday event
- Pre-event prep; no late-night marathons
Tools
- Any programming language
- Web automation, AI/LLMs allowed
- Participants should have basic coding experience
Resources
- Same small budget for all teams
- Use any services (e.g., APIs, automation tools); report spending
- Capped for fair comparison
Ethics
- Bot code not released
- Defense ideas may be used in research (with credit)
Apply
Short intake survey: background, interests, role preference.
FAQ
Who can participate?
Undergrad/grad students from any university.
Do I need CS experience?
Yes, some level of basic coding experience.
Can I choose my role?
Indicate preference; final assignment balances teams.
Can I apply with friends?
Yes, as a team of 2–3 or individually.
How much time?
Prep beforehand + full Saturday (ends early evening).
What tools allowed?
Scripting, automation, AI/LLMs. Rules provided in advance.
Will code be shared?
Defense ideas may be refined for research. Bot code stays private.
Good for my résumé?
Yes—concrete AI + security + data quality experience.