Agentic AI Challenge & Workshop

This spring, the Kautz-Uible Economics Institute is excited to launch its first AI competition, exploring a central challenge:

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How can agentic AI reshape the way we ask – and answer – economic questions?

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Students are invited to build original AI agents that tackle real economic problems using creative ideas, smart automation, and clear connections to how economists think about markets, policy, and decision-making.

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​Build Your Skills at our February Workshop​

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To support students interested in the competition, we will host a hands-on workshop on Saturday, February 7th.

 

Led by Institute Fellow and AI expert Hamed Namavari (PhD, '19), the full-day workshop will include two interactive sessions focused on understanding and building AI agents, offering practical skills and insights into agentic AI and its applications.

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Date: Saturday, February 7th

Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Location: Lindner Hall, Rm 2245

Food: Breakfast and lunch provided!

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​Please note:

• You do not need to participate in the workshop to enter the competition.

• If you attend the workshop, you do not need to participate in the competition.

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The workshop is designed as a resource and could be especially useful for students who want inspiration, technical direction, or a clearer starting point for developing a competition submission.

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Competition Details​​​​

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​To participate in the competition, teams must build an AI agent and clearly explain what it does and why it matters. To be considered, teams must submit a video presentation and supporting materials that demonstrate both the economic purpose and technical design of their agent.

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Teams can consist of 1-4 University of Cincinnati students, and at least one member must be an Economics or Business major.

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Entries must be submitted using the link below and will be judged by a 

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• Submissions due by 11:59 pm on Monday, March 9.

• The top five entries will present on Wednesday, April 1 at Lindner Hall.

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Read the FAQ | Read the Rubric | View Sample Video Submission

 

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Here does it work?

​​Form a team, design an AI agent, and explain what it does and why it matters. To be considered, teams must submit a short video and supporting materials that demonstrate both the economic purpose and technical design of their agent.​

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Who is eligible to participate?

Teams may include 1-4 University of Cincinnati students, and at least one member must be an Economics or Business Economics major.​

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What do teams need to submit?

Each team must submit the following materials through the official submission form:

• Agent Documentation:

  • A single Markdown file named Claude.md or Agents.md describing the agent’s design, economic rationale, and implementation.

• Video Presentation

  • A 5–10-minute video explaining the agent’s economic application, how it works, and the key insights it produces.

• Agent Output Artifact

  • An artifact representing the output of your AI agent (for example: analysis, visualization, report, or interactive tool).

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How will submissions be judged?​

Submissions will be evaluated in four categories:

• Originality

• Economic Relevance

• Sophistication & Complexity

• Quality of Video Presentation

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Each category will be scored on a 0–10 scale, for a maximum possible score of 40 points.

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How do teams submit?

Teams must submit their materials using the official submission form linked above. Through the form, you can upload your submission files or provide view-only links to your video, documentation, and agent output. Please ensure all links are accessible without special permissions.

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