Season 3 of the FlowGPT Hackathon has officially wrapped up, which ran from September 15 to October 14, culminating in a grand finale on October 14. This virtual contest marks another milestone in the platform’s mission to foster creativity, technical excellence, and ethical innovation in AI.
Building on the success of previous seasons, the competition brought together developers, designers, and innovators from around the world to create new applications, tools, and integrations powered by AI. Participants worked with tools such as OpenAI, Google PaLM2, and Meta integrations to craft prompt-based applications, competing for recognition across categories like Most Creative AI, Most Ethical AI, and Most Helpful AI.
This season saw a record number of participants, with over 3,000 submissions from more than 4,000 developers, designers, and AI enthusiasts worldwide. Compared to the nearly 1,000 prompts from 2,000 participants in Season 2, this latest contest demonstrated a substantial growth in community engagement and interest in AI-driven prompt engineering. According to FlowGPT, the hackathon continues to highlight the vast potential of generative AI while encouraging responsible and impactful use cases that benefit users and society.
Among the panel of distinguished judges for Season 3 was Ruihan Wang, Co-Founder and Tech Lead of Y-Planet Inc., who has served as a FlowGPT Hackathon judge since its inaugural season. Wang noted that the submissions in this latest season demonstrated a “clear step forward” in both technical execution and creative vision. She emphasized the importance of blending innovation with real-world applicability, pointing out that several projects stood out for their ability to solve practical problems while also pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities. Wang observed that the most compelling entries were those that integrated AI into everyday workflows in ways that felt seamless and intuitive, suggesting that such developments could have a transformative impact on industries ranging from e-commerce to content creation.
Ruihan Wang’s ongoing involvement in the hackathon reflects her deep engagement with the evolving AI ecosystem. At the time of all three hackathon seasons, she was leading technology strategy at Y-Planet, a company specializing in internet economy solutions with a focus on live streaming, e-commerce, and short-form video. In her role, Wang spearheaded platform development for e-commerce clients, designed incentive and performance systems for influencer operations, and built technical teams to drive innovation in platform features. Prior to founding Y-Planet, she held senior roles at prominent tech companies including Bilibili, ByteDance, Xiaomi, and Cheetah Mobile, where she led commercialization strategies, revenue optimization, and product development across global markets. With a strong record in software development, platform optimization, and international technical partnerships, Wang brings a combination of technical expertise and industry foresight to her judging role.
Looking ahead, industry observers see events like the FlowGPT Hackathon as more than just competitive showcases—they serve as catalysts for the next wave of AI innovation. Such gatherings provide a space for emerging talent to experiment, collaborate, and test ideas in real-world scenarios. They also foster dialogue between creators, investors, and established tech leaders, accelerating the translation of cutting-edge research into tangible products. In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, these hackathons help bridge the gap between conceptual AI breakthroughs and their integration into everyday life, ensuring that innovation keeps pace with both user needs and ethical considerations.
