We are thrilled to announce a new partnership between Major League Hacking (MLH) and Google Cloud. Over 3 years, we will be integrating Google Cloud’s latest Gemini models across our network of more than 4,000 community chapters with the goal of fostering a new generation of engineers who see AI as an integral part of their creative toolbox. We know competition is intensifying between AI platforms and that developer mindshare matters more than ever. Our own data shows Google Cloud’s Gemini models are experiencing the fastest growth in actual usage among next-gen developers, suggesting hands-on experience drives adoption more effectively than brand awareness alone.
How Major League Hacking & Google Cloud’s Gemini Will Work Together
We’re excited to start integrating Google’s Gemini models into MLH’s network of engineers, where 1 in 3 Computer Science grads each year are members of the MLH Community. It’s a central tenet of MLH that we understand real learning rarely takes place in a classroom–it takes place on the ground, in real situations where you learn to code and build, and create new things with the latest tools. Having these models at your fingertips will make MLH community members more equipped to build for the future.
While there is a three-phase plan in place to reach as many of our members as we can, the adoption of these AI models will take time to fully deploy. In Phase One, we will feature the models at 250+ MLH hackathons through dedicated prizes, workshops, and developer resources. Phase Two will amplify this initial utilization of the models with conferences and custom coding challenges so that more engineers are able to work directly with the models in real time. In Phase Three, Google’s Gemini models will be embedded into daily programming activities through local chapter meetups and hack nights.
It is our hope that we will be able to move through the phases of this plan in a way that gets Google’s Gemini models into the hands of engineers swiftly so that our communities can grow even as the technology becomes more and more advanced.
AI Model Exposure Builds Engineers of the Future
MLH is dedicated to creating educational opportunities for software creators and engineers at all levels of the learning experience. We know AI is already transforming software development, and early exposure to AI platforms during university years increasingly determines which tools developers will adopt throughout their careers.
We also know that diversity in engineering sectors matters. Exposing MLH’s diverse tech education community to these tools early is vital to ensuring the pipeline to professional software development remains as diverse as software users are. With nearly 50% of the MLH community identifying as non-male and two-thirds as people of color – significantly more diverse than traditional Computer Science programs – we are uniquely positioned to have an outsized effect on driving diversity in the industry. And our members span 93 countries, giving this partnership and Google’s Gemini models global reach among emerging developers.
MLH communities are passionate and driven to excellence. We can’t wait to see what our local chapters use Google Gemini models to build in the coming months and years. If you’re looking for a local instance of Major League Hacking, explore our upcoming hackathons and join us!