- Marine Corps University and the Naval Postgraduate School will jointly host the AI Learning Initiatives hackathon from Sept. 15-18
- The event will develop AI and machine learning prototypes to improve military education, training and administrative processes
- Marines, government civilians, sister-service personnel, industry and academic partners may apply through Aug. 14
The Marine Corps has announced plans to hold the joint Marine Corps University and Naval Postgraduate School AI Learning Initiatives hackathon from Sept. 15–18, bringing together military personnel, government civilians, industry representatives and academic partners to develop artificial intelligence and machine learning applications that support professional military education and training.
As the Department of the Navy expands its use of artificial intelligence across education, software development and operational missions, government and industry leaders will discuss the technologies driving the service’s digital transformation at the 2026 Navy Summit. Scheduled for Aug. 27, the event will feature senior Navy and Marine Corps officials examining AI, digital engineering, autonomous systems, enterprise modernization and the future of naval operations. Sign up now to join the conversation.
What Is the Hackathon Designed to Accomplish?
Organizers said the hackathon is intended to produce scalable, operationally relevant software prototypes to address high-priority education, training and administrative challenges while strengthening AI literacy among participants.
Development teams will focus on a range of mission areas, including personalized learning, simulation and virtual training, performance assessment, automated content generation, operational support, and wargaming. Additional use cases may be selected from participant submissions based on their potential operational value.
Who Can Participate?
The Marine Corps is accepting applications from Marines, government civilians, sister-service personnel, industry partners and academic institutions.
Participants may apply in one of three categories:
- Hackers, including professionals with backgrounds in artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development, data science and related technical disciplines
- Subject matter experts, who will define operational problems and provide mission context for development teams
- Support personnel, who will assist with event administration and logistics
Applicants selected to participate must attend in person at either Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, or the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Applications will be accepted through Aug. 14, with selected participants notified by Aug. 21.
What Other Military Hackathons Have Taken Place Recently?
The MCU-NPS event builds on the broader Department of the Navy’s push to accelerate software development and integrate artificial intelligence. In June, the Department of the Navy hosted a four-day software hackathon in San Diego that brought together warfighters, engineers and technical experts from across the Navy and Marine Corps to develop software-centric, data-driven solutions to operational challenges.
Other military organizations have also used hackathons to advance modernization efforts. In May, the U.S. Army and several defense companies launched the “Right to Integrate” hackathon initiative to improve interoperability between Army systems and industry technologies.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force’s 505th Command and Control Wing convened a “Logistics C2” hackathon to develop AI-enabled, predictive logistics capabilities designed to accelerate operational decision-making and strengthen mission readiness.
