GM finds new applications and solutions for its artificial intelligence technology.

Creating innovative technologies involves working with the best and brightest minds in the industry.

When GM Canada wanted to host its first-ever hackathon, focused on A.I. technology they decided to partner with Sandbox, Ryerson Futures Inc. and the DMZ – the top tech accelerator in North America. By leveraging our connections with top entrepreneurs from across the city and impressive industry networks, GM was able to find new applications and meet with emerging startups working on similar projects.

The sprint-like event saw 50 startups, tech leaders and students create on-the-spot digital programming that could be used to help drivers. At the end of the two-day event, teams had the opportunity to pitch their solutions to company executives. The winning concept was created by The Mages, which developed a digital assistant that can easily toggle between various in-car apps to enhance vehicle safety and create a better driving experience.

“Forming this partnership was an easy decision for us as DMZ had done this before and were the experts – which was a great help. The DMZ team was instrumental with not only coordinating logistics and overall execution, but reaching out to the right demographic and making sure we met the right entrepreneurs.”

Ted Graham, Head of Open Innovation at GM Canada