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UN Human Rights Call for Code AI Austin AI Hub
Call for Code AI: United Against Trafficking

United Against Trafficking.

A global hackathon calling on developers, designers, artists, and advocates to build AI that combats human trafficking — built with and for the communities it serves.

May 1 – July 30, 2026 Global Hybrid 100th Anniversary · 1926 Slavery Convention
Register Now View tracks
4
Challenge tracks
4
Weeks to build
Free
To participate
Yours
You own your IP
Challenge Tracks

Choose one track.

All share the same mission: using AI to combat human trafficking.

Track 1

Anticipate & Disrupt.

Detect and disrupt trafficking networks before they reach their targets.

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Trafficking networks operate across digital platforms, financial systems, and global supply chains — leaving patterns that AI can learn to recognize. Yet law enforcement and NGOs are drowning in data they cannot process fast enough. Current detection tools rely on keyword filters and manual review that miss the vast majority of signals.

Build solutions that could…

  • Detect online recruitment — Exploiters recruit victims across social media, job postings, and messaging platforms using constantly evolving language, images, and tactics that static detection methods cannot keep up with
  • Expose supply chain and financial exploitation — Forced labor generates billions in illicit revenue, leaving traces across trade flows, sourcing patterns, and financial transactions designed to be invisible
  • Predict high-risk locations and conditions — Trafficking concentrates around specific events, migration corridors, and economic conditions, but current early warning systems are slow and fragmented
  • Map trafficking networks across platforms — Operations span social media, financial systems, shipping records, and court filings, but no one connects these fragmented signals into actionable intelligence
  • …or propose your own approach to disrupting trafficking networks
Example: An AI agent that monitors recruitment posts across job boards and social platforms in 40+ languages, flagging coercive language patterns and fake recruiter networks before they reach potential victims.
Track 2

Assist & Amplify.

Build survivor-centered AI tools that support recovery, protection, and long-term resilience.

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Survivors face enormous barriers to recovery: fragmented services, language gaps, distrust of institutions, and the constant risk of re-victimization. 80% of survivors are at risk of being trafficked again without sustained support. Frontline organizations — case workers, shelter operators, legal aid providers — are under-resourced and overwhelmed.

Build solutions that could…

  • Reduce the burden on caseworkers — Social workers coordinate across multiple agencies, track complex timelines, and manage dozens of cases with tools that haven't changed in decades
  • Break language and communication barriers — Survivors may speak rare languages, use coded language, have low literacy, or be unable to communicate safely — and crisis situations demand real-time response
  • Connect survivors to the right services, faster — Shelter, legal aid, medical care, and employment programs exist but are scattered across fragmented directories with inconsistent information
  • Assess and reduce re-trafficking risk — The window between leaving a trafficking situation and being re-exploited is narrow, and caseworkers need better tools to identify escalating risk early
  • …or propose your own approach to supporting survivors and frontline workers
Example: A trauma-informed, multilingual assistant that helps survivors navigate shelter, legal aid, and healthcare resources — designed with survivor-serving organizations from day one.
Track 3

Accountability & Justice.

Strengthen legal processes, evidence gathering, and prosecution pathways.

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Trafficking prosecutions remain extremely low compared to the scale of the crime. Evidence is scattered across jurisdictions and formats. Legal processes are slow and under-resourced. Victims are re-traumatized by systems built for institutional convenience, not human protection.

Build solutions that could…

  • Organize evidence across borders and formats — Trafficking cases involve video, audio, financial records, and documents spanning multiple countries, and legal teams have no unified way to search or correlate this evidence
  • Hold corporations accountable at scale — Tens of thousands of corporate modern slavery statements are published annually, but no one can read them all to identify gaps, greenwashing, or non-compliance
  • Accelerate legal research and case strategy — Prosecutors need to search case law, statutes, and sentencing patterns across countries, but the volume of legal material makes this prohibitively slow
  • Protect witnesses and victims through the legal process — Survivors who testify face identity exposure, re-traumatization, and safety risks that current protection mechanisms were not designed for
  • …or propose your own approach to strengthening justice for trafficking cases
Example: A cross-jurisdictional evidence correlator that helps prosecutors and investigators connect trafficking cases across state and international lines — turning months of manual work into a guided review.
Special recognition

Art Against Trafficking.

Use AI to tell stories that shift awareness, confront indifference, and mobilize action.

Read more

Data alone does not change minds. Stories do. Art does. The most powerful anti-trafficking campaigns made the invisible visible — through film, photography, data visualization, and human narrative.

Create work that could…

  • Tell trafficking stories with dignity and power — through AI-assisted film, animation, audio, or visual storytelling that respects survivor experience
  • Make the invisible visible — through interactive data visualizations or immersive experiences that make the scale of trafficking visceral and comprehensible
  • Educate and activate audiences — through engagement tools, games, or social media experiences that move people from awareness to action
  • Amplify survivor voices — through generative art or media that centers survivor perspectives while protecting identity and dignity
  • …or propose your own creative approach
Example: An interactive, survivor-informed data visualization that lets the public explore trafficking patterns anonymously — making invisible networks visible without retraumatizing victims.

Not sure? Pick the one that best describes your primary focus. Art Against Trafficking is available across all tracks.

Open Methodology

There are no restrictions on AI approach. Past hackathons have produced winning solutions using NLP, computer vision, agentic systems, and techniques the organizers never anticipated. Whether you work with foundation models, RAG, multimodal systems, speech AI, knowledge graphs, reinforcement learning, or something entirely new, build what the problem demands.

If you have no technical background and want to build entirely with vibe coding and prompting, you are absolutely welcome to participate too.

Key Dates

Timeline.

Three months. Four phases. One mission.

MAY 1

Registration Opens

Sign up on the platform.

JUN 11

Hackathon Launch

Submissions open.

MID-JUN

Judges Announced

Meet the panel.

JUL 9

Submission Deadline

11:59 PM CT.

JUL 9 – 18

Technical Review

Code, originality & ethics rubric.

JUL 18 – 27

Panel Judging

Impact, feasibility & survivor-centered design.

~ JUL 27

Winners Notified

Privately, ahead of the ceremony.

JUL 30

Awards Ceremony

Capital Factory + Virtual.

What You Receive

Prizes & Recognition.

6-Month AI Hub Incubator Program

Winning individuals enter a structured 6-month program with a dedicated curriculum, milestone-based progress, and mentors recruited specifically for your team — culminating in a defined pilot deployment pathway with NGO partners and a published case study of your solution.

Official Certificate of Recognition

A formal award credential signed by initiative leadership, suitable for professional portfolios, resumes, LinkedIn, and academic applications.

Internationally Recognized Distinction

Named winner of a global human rights challenge presented in alignment with the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

Global Visibility

Top solutions featured across partner and community platforms, reaching organizations, builders, and advocates in the human rights and AI ecosystem.

Access to a Global Network

Connection to a community of technologists, researchers, and organizations working at the intersection of AI and human rights.

Finalist Recognition

All finalist teams receive public acknowledgment across initiative channels and are included in the post-event impact report.

Additional Awards — To Be Announced

Cash prizes, cloud credits, and additional support are under consideration and will be announced as the initiative develops.

Step by Step

How to Participate.

Five steps from idea to impact.

01

Register

Sign up on the hackathon platform. Every team member registers individually.

02

Learn

Review the resources and guidelines. Join the Discord for questions and support.

03

Build

4 weeks. Any language, framework, or AI platform. No required tech stack.

04

Submit

Submit your project before the deadline. See requirements in the Guidelines.

05

Post-Hackathon

Top teams join the AI Hub Incubator — a 6-month mentorship program.

New to hackathons?

You belong here.

A thoughtful, well-scoped idea that works beats an ambitious concept that doesn't.

Free & open worldwide ~2 minutes to register Solo or team of up to 5
Register for Call for Code AI
Meet Our Judges

Eminent Judges.

Leaders from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Anwar Mahfoudh

Anwar Mahfoudh

Chief, Innovation & Analytics Hub

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Anwar Mahfoudh leads the Innovation & Analytics Hub at UN Human Rights in Geneva, with over two decades advising senior UN leaders on harnessing data and technology to advance human rights and the Global Goals.

Amy-Louise Shelver

Amy-Louise Shelver

Program Management Officer, Innovation & Analytics Hub

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Amy Shelver leads rights-respecting AI innovation at UN Human Rights' Innovation and Analytics Hub, with two decades shaping global narratives on technology, human rights, and the creative economy across the UN system.

Clara Pascual de Vargas

Clara Pascual de Vargas

Human Rights Officer

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Clara Pascual de Vargas is a Human Rights Officer at UN Human Rights in Geneva, supporting the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons with a focus on exploitation in business operations and supply chains.

Panel Judges.

Becky Austen

Becky Austen

Chief Growth Officer

Allies Against Slavery

Becky Austen leads the national expansion of Allies Against Slavery's anti-trafficking data and software portfolio, including Lighthouse, a platform built to identify signs of exploitation and surface insight from human trafficking data.

David Reid

David Reid

President, redM · CTO & CMO, NOV

redM / NOV

David Reid is President of redM, a pro bono movement of over 4,000 professional volunteers helping women recover from the trauma of sex trafficking. He also serves as CTO and CMO of NOV.

Ali Khodaei, PhD

Ali Khodaei, PhD

VP of AI Product

SandboxAQ

Ali Khodaei, PhD is VP of AI Product at SandboxAQ. He previously led Gemini modeling teams at Google DeepMind and shaped responsible AI work at Meta and Google Research, with a PhD in computer science and deep expertise at the intersection of AI capability and safety.

Become a Judge.

Help evaluate hackathon submissions. Technical review: July 9–18, 2026. Panel review: July 18–27, 2026.

Apply to Judge Judge sign-in →
Judging Criteria

How submissions are scored.

Every project is reviewed against a published rubric. Tracks 1–3 share one rubric. Art Against Trafficking has its own.

Tracks 1–3 · Technical Tracks

Anticipate & Disrupt · Assist & Amplify · Accountability & Justice

Each criterion is scored on a 1–5 scale. Weights total 100%.

30%
Impact & Relevance. Does the solution address a real, specific trafficking challenge? Is the problem well-defined and grounded in evidence?
25%
Technical Execution. Does the AI system work? Is the demo functional, the code well-structured, and the architecture sound?
20%
Innovation. Is this a novel approach? Does it offer something existing tools do not?
15%
Feasibility & Deployment Potential. Could a real organization adopt this? Is it designed for the constraints of real-world deployment (cost, connectivity, skills)?
10%
Human Rights & Ethical Alignment. Does the solution respect dignity, privacy, and survivor agency? Has the team considered risks of misuse, bias, or re-traumatization?
Special Recognition

Art Against Trafficking

A separate rubric reflects the creative nature of this category.

30%
Emotional Impact & Storytelling. Does the work create a powerful, lasting impression? Does it humanize the issue?
25%
Innovation & Creative Use of AI. Is AI used as a genuine creative collaborator, not just a tool?
20%
Impact & Relevance. Does it address trafficking meaningfully? Could it shift public awareness or behavior?
15%
Artistic Merit & Craft. Is the work well-executed as a creative piece?
10%
Human Rights & Ethical Alignment. Does it respect survivor dignity and avoid sensationalism or exploitation of suffering?
Two-Stage Process

Technical Review, then Panel Judging.

Stage 1 (July 9–18): every valid submission is reviewed against the technical and ethics rubric. Top shortlisted projects advance to Stage 2 (July 18–27), evaluated by a panel of judges from AI, anti-trafficking, and policy backgrounds.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions.

Do I need a team to participate?

No — you can compete solo or in a team of up to five. You can also register as "looking for teammates" and we'll help connect you via Discord.

Can my team submit more than one project?

Only one submission per team. Individuals can only be listed on a single team.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. Designers, researchers, policy experts, artists, and advocates are all welcome — especially in Assist & Amplify and Art Against Trafficking.

Can I start before June 11?

You can research and ideate anytime. Implementation must happen between June 11 and July 9.

I'm not in Austin. Can I participate?

Yes — this is a global hybrid hackathon. Register as a virtual participant.

Can I use pre-built AI models?

Yes. You may use any language, framework, or AI platform. Follow the ethical use guidelines in the rules document.

Is there a cost?

No — participation is free.

How does judging work?

Two stages. Stage 1 is a technical review of every valid submission (July 9–18). The top shortlisted projects advance to stage 2 panel judging (July 18–27) with judges from AI, anti-trafficking, and policy backgrounds.

How do I find teammates?

Join the Discord and tell us what you're good at. Lots of people are looking for collaborators.

What happens after the hackathon?

Winning teams enter a 6-month mentorship and pilot pathway — moving projects from prototype to responsible deployment.

Submissions

Submit your project.

Deadline: July 9, 2026, 11:59 PM CT.

Start your submission
Safety & Code of Conduct

Survivor-centered & respectful.

We follow UN Do No Harm principles. All participants, judges, and reviewers agree to our Code of Conduct, which prohibits harassment, discrimination, and intimidation.

Read the Code of Conduct

Report a Concern.

Reports are confidential. Email team@austinaihub.org or use the Discord #report channel.

Violations can be reported confidentially at any time during or after the hackathon.

Important: This hackathon is not a reporting or emergency response service. If you or someone you know may be in immediate danger or trafficking risk, please contact local emergency services or a national trafficking hotline (in the U.S., the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888).