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To promote data/AI literacy and tool adoption, we have updated the challenge to focus on a single, high-quality output that demonstrates the power of human-AI collaboration.

Participants must submit at least one cohesive dashboard that showcases excellence in data visualization augmented by AI. You are challenged to use AI agents to act as your primary partner for:

• AI-Assisted Data Prep: Using AI to clean, transform, or structure the provided dataset.
• Generative Analysis: Leveraging AI to identify trends, generate summaries, or draft narrative text and titles.
• Advanced Modeling and Code: Incorporating AI/ML models, such as predictive modeling or clustering, into the final visualization. Utilizing AI to code elements in Data Visualization tools.

Submission documentation is required. This documentation must focus on the process of building your augmented visualization and address:

• How AI tools were utilized.
• Challenges encountered, such as prompt engineering or tool access.
• The successes and specific value added by the AI component.

You are welcome to use any protected AI assistant of your choice.

AI & Developer Training Support

To ensure every participant, regardless of coding background, can harness the power of AI, we are offering specialized training on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 12:00-1:00 P.M. This training session will focus on enterprise AI tools available for the competition (ChatGPT Edu, NotebookLM, Gemini, Co-Pilot).

Office Hours

Dedicated time for troubleshooting specific technical hurdles with AI mentors will be offered throughout the competition.

Refer to the CMU Branding and Data Visualization Guidelines for guidance in color and typography choices. Additional colors outside the CMU Brand color palette may be used, but must maintain a minimum 4.5 contrast ratio between text and background colors.

Digital accessibility guidelines, as required under the , should be followed in all submissions. All dashboard developers should familiarize themselves with accessibility best practices such as maintaining color contrast between text and background colors, not using color as the only way to communicate information, and embedding alternative text or descriptive labels with images.

Dear Supervisor,

I am writing to request your support for my participation in the 2026 CMU AI and Data Analytics (AI/DA) Summit Cup. This year, CMU has evolved its signature IronViz competition into a premier challenge focused on “Intelligence at Scale: Driving a Human-Centered Future with AI and Data Analytics."

This competition is a unique professional development opportunity to master the synergy between data foundations and AI implementation. By participating, I will have the opportunity to:

• Develop advanced technical literacy by leveraging AI agents as high-performance collaborators to automate data transformation and code complex elements directly within visualization tools. 
• Translate complex data findings into actionable insights, ensuring that while the process is AI-augmented, the output remains ethical, transparent, and focused on enhancing human capability.
• Engage with the broader CMU data community and AI mentors to foster a data-informed, AI-literate decision culture.

There is a time commitment to create a cohesive, AI-augmented submission before the submission deadline of Sunday, May 3, and to participate in the final event on Tuesday, May 26. In addition, participants are encouraged to attend the CMU AI/DA Summit on Wednesday, June 3, where winners will be announced.

I appreciate your consideration in allowing me the time to participate in this high-impact initiative and bring these efficient, AI-native practices back to our team.