The University of Maryland School of Public Policy is organizing, in partnership with the National Endowment for Democracy, Human Rights Foundation, and AI Freedom Lab,: The AI Hack for Freedom III. It will be held at the National Endowment for Democracy in downtown DC from September 23-25, 2026.

The event will bring together civil society leaders from Ukraine, Venezuela, Nepal, Kenya, Russia, and beyond with open-source AI engineers who are putting frontier technology to work in support of freedom, human rights, and democracy. While much of the conversation around AI focuses on its potential misuse by authoritarian governments, these participants are exploring how AI can instead serve as a tool for liberty. Throughout the week at NED, teams will develop software to address real democratic challenges facing their organizations—from strengthening parliamentary transparency and election integrity to supporting independent journalism that can reach audiences despite censorship.

​Join us Friday September 25 for an exciting afternoon as the hackathon concludes and we celebrate the winners! SPP will provide transportation to and from campus to the National Endowment for Democracy. Please RSVP below. Capacity is limited to 30 students and will be done on first come, first served basis. SPP will confirm your attendance by Tuesday, September 22. 

​Schedule:

​1:00 PM - Doors open & lunch
​1:30 PM - Pitches from the teams
​3:00 PM - Judges convene/Fireside Chat for attendees
3:30-4:30 PM - Winners announced and final remarks