Udacity Partners with Didi Chuxing for $100,000 Machine Learning Competition

The companies will work together on innovations that will affect hundreds of millions of ride-sharing service users.

Udacity has announced a partnership with a ride-sharing service in China to host a $100,000 prize competition to find the best machine learning strategy to improve customer experience.

Udacity, which offers the Machine Learning Engineer nanodegree program, has teamed up with Didi Chuxing to host the Di-Tech Algorithm Competition. Didi processes more than 11 million trips, 9 billion routes and 50 TB of data per day using machine learning strategies. As the company grows, so does the need to improve on core algorithms that impact supply-demand forecasting for hundreds of millions of users around the world.

“The competition is a challenge to machine learning and big data students around the world to improve how the company ensures riders always get a car when and where they need it, and drivers know where to be even before a ride is hailed,” according to Udacity.

Didi published the competition data set online and the first round of submissions are due June 17. A group of educators, researchers and data scientists will select and invite the top 10 teams to Didi in July to compete for the $100,000 grand prize. Second and third place will receive ¥50,000 (about $7,600) and ¥20,000 (about $3,000), respectively.

To enter the competition, visit the DiDi Research site.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Abstract neural network 3D illustration

    Intel® AI EmpowerED: The AI-Ready Campus, Delivered

    Artificial intelligence is transforming higher education, prompting institutions to rethink how they manage infrastructure, security, governance, and workforce readiness. Successful adoption requires a strategic, institution-wide approach that aligns AI initiatives with educational goals, faculty enablement, and scalable operational frameworks.

  • Businessman using laptop analyzing data and growth graph chart

    AI Budgets in Education Show No Sign of Decline

    The vast majority of education organizations (98%) expect their AI infrastructure budgets to either increase or hold steady over the next year, according to a recent report from cloud storage provider Wasabi.

  • Jason Palm

    AI, Identity, and Speed: Cybersecurity Priorities for Higher Ed

    Fortinet Security Operations Specialist Jason Palm explains how AI is raising new security challenges for higher education, requiring stronger governance, identity protection, threat detection, automation, and incident readiness.

  • Silhouettes of human faces in cyberspace

    Defending Against Data Breaches in the Age of Deepfakes

    As social-engineering attacks surpass ransomware as the top cyber risk, institutions must reevaluate their cybersecurity practices.