As artificial intelligence becomes more widely integrated, students at the University of Georgia are devising creative applications for this technology. For the second consecutive year, learners submitted their projects to the Generative AI Competition, which is sponsored by the Office of Instruction and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ philosophy department, aimed at highlighting student AI initiatives that enhance the UGA community or experience.
“Employing these tools effectively to delve deeper into a subject or gain a different viewpoint that our personal experiences may not reveal can be tremendously beneficial,” stated Lindsey Harding, co-coordinator of the GenAI Competition and director of Franklin College’s Writing Intensive Program.
This year’s competition featured 24 entries, representing a significant rise from the eight submissions during its inaugural year. Judges comprised of UGA faculty and staff identified three winners, awarding $600, $400, and $200 for first, second, and third place, respectively, along with a $100 honorarium for an additional entry. Students utilized generative AI tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Amper to realize their projects. All entries can be viewed in this year’s online showcase.
“It was thrilling to see participants utilize AI to foster a greater sense of community, from organizing campus events to conceptualizing and even creating apps that link students,” remarked Chandler Christoffel, director of UGA’s Academic Engagement Department and a GenAI Competition judge. “This year, we observed a wider array of AI tools, techniques, and applications. I appreciated submissions that articulated the thought and design processes, including challenges faced, which can often be as fascinating and insightful as the final outcomes.”
The entries included tools aimed at advancing campus safety for students with features such as emergency notifications and contact integrations, as well as the Zero-Waste Dining Initiative, intended to minimize food waste, enhance sustainability, and foster a more environmentally conscious campus atmosphere.
When determining winners, judges weighed factors such as originality, community influence, inventive use of AI resources, and comprehensive documentation of the development process.
Utilizing images for reading comprehension
Screen capture of the InkTrap prototype. (Submitted photo)
First place was awarded to Sophie Brewer, a third-year Lamar Dodd School of Art graphic design student, who developed InkTrap with the help of Microsoft Copilot, Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT, and OpenArt. InkTrap is crafted as an accessibility website for reading that employs generative AI to produce images and text for students struggling with text comprehension and prolonged focus.
Her project stemmed from a class Brewer attended about AI in the arts, igniting her passion for how generative AI can facilitate accessible design and devise solutions for populations often overlooked.
“When utilized appropriately and responsibly, AI can serve as a profoundly useful educational tool for individuals of all ages and lead to groundbreaking projects that were once unimaginable,” Brewer commented. “AI isn’t solely for generating amusing videos or images; it can aid those in need, and I hope InkTrap exemplifies that.”
An interactive representation of Athens’ musical heritage
Screen grab of the Athens Music History Map. (Submitted photo)
The second place accolade went to Suhan Kacholia, a fourth-year Double Dawg student pursuing a bachelor’s in cognitive science and master’s in artificial intelligence at the Institute for Artificial Intelligence. Kacholia developed an interactive map showcasing the musical history of Athens utilizing archived interviews, large language models, and geospatial visualization. Data was extracted from the Athens Music Project Oral History Collection, curated by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies.
Kacholia employed Google’s Gemini 2.0 to analyze audio transcripts from interviews, extracting location information by pinpointing the venues and landmarks referenced. Subsequently, Python was used for geocoding, converting venue names into latitude and longitude coordinates applicable for mapping. This project aimed to illustrate how AI can transform large amounts of unstructured data and assist students in connecting with Athens’ rich musical heritage.
“Engaging with this project allowed me to perceive our city from a fresh perspective — I can literally trace the paths of the musicians and creatives I find inspiring,” Kacholia shared.
Transforming class notes into melodies and ideas into applications
Bianca Wilson, a third-year student at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, secured third place with Music Notes, a program developed using Google Gemini and YuE, a MusicGen software. Music Notes facilitates the uploading of class notes or flashcards and transforms them into brief, catchy melodies available for download as MP3 files. The idea for Music Notes was inspired by research in music psychology highlighting how the brain processes musical information differently from standard linguistic data.
Honorable mention was given to Ph.D. student Rex VanHorn, who is studying artificial intelligence at the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. His project, The Idea Appetizer, employs large language models to generate code that can reshape an idea into a functional application.
The faculty and staff from the Office of Instruction, philosophy department, and Writing Intensive Program aspire to sustain interest among students in AI and enhance awareness regarding the competition. Updates and submission guidelines for the 2026 competition will be available online.
“This competition demonstrates that our students are enthusiastic about discovering new and meaningful ways to engage with AI at the university,” remarked Aaron Meskin, philosophy department chair and co-coordinator of the GenAI Competition.
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