AI Hackathon hopes to encourage kids to go into the tech field

INDIANAPOLIS — Data breaches by hackers are a growing problem around the world. That is one reason the need for cybersecurity professionals is expected to grow.

That’s why the Department of Defense, in partnership with local Indianapolis Tech leaders, hosted a hackathon.

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"We know that the national security challenges of the future are going to be in the high-tech space and so this is a great opportunity for kids to be exposed to ways to serve their country and also get exposed to these really exciting technologies,” Andrew Kossack, the Executive Vice President of the Applied Research Institute, said.

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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects cybersecurity jobs to grow 32 percent by 2032.

At the hackathon, local high school students leaned skill that could lead them to career in advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, and data science.

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"It allows you to make connections with people," Naman Vyas, a student going into his freshman year, said. “People that can help you get jobs and explore opportunities in the future.“

Vyas is on the robotics team at his school. He is interested in the tech sector, potentially to someday keep data safe from would-be hackers.

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"White hat hacker, what they do is they hack into websites and figure out ways to protect it better,” Vyas said. “I think that would be a really cool job. Like problem solving, trying to find the problems so you can fix those problems and make it a lot safer for websites and companies."

Students like Vyas are very attractive to tech leaders.

"There aren't too many industries that you can get into today that don't have some type of tech aspect,” Stacey Arnold, with the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, said. “We are really committed to ensuring that students have the tools they need to be able to navigate the world with having a tech savvy skill.”

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Winners of the hackathon challenge were given money to attend Indiana University. IU awarded two $5,000 scholarships.