Midcentury VP of Engineering Ashutosh Synghal Judges Sundai.Club's 'Snowstorm Hackathon' at MIT Media Lab

Collaboration of Harvard, MIT, and Boston Tech Community Signals a Sea Change in Data Sovereignty.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, February 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Despite a historic snowstorm, the Sundai.Club "Snowstorm Hackathon" brought together 61 participants at the MIT Media Lab to create seven AI projects in just one day. Five of these projects focused on user-friendly privacy solutions, highlighting a growing concern over digital surveillance and data exploitation. Participants included esteemed tech professionals working at leading technology companies in the Boston area, as well as students and faculty from Harvard and MIT.

Ashutosh Synghal, VP of Engineering at Midcentury, lent his expertise as a judge for the hackathon. Joining him on the judging panel were Naomi Brockwell (President of Ludlow Institute, NBTV), Dr. Madars Virza (MIT Media Lab, Zerocash), Dr. Aleks Jakulin (Data.Flowers, Sledilnik.org), and Dr. Jean Arnaud (cofounder of Aethos.org). Synghal's deep understanding of AI and commitment to ethical technology made him an ideal evaluator for the innovative projects presented.

"People are waking up to the importance of privacy," said Synghal. "In a world where personal data has become big business, these innovators remind us that technology can—and should—respect individual sovereignty."

Seven functional AI products, including five privacy-centric tools, were conceived and fully deployed within a single day. A new donation supported online privacy initiatives, fueling rapid collaboration and "privacy-first" thinking. Every product is Open Source, encouraging global teams to refine and expand on the solutions. Among the privacy-focused projects were "gh0st," a web application that helps users plan routes while avoiding surveillance cameras; "Compute Community," which allows users to securely run AI models on local or trusted community hardware, ensuring private data stays private; "TERMSinator 2.0," a browser plugin using AI to flag problematic or deceptive legal language in user agreements; "VocalCloak," which anonymizes voice recordings by removing personal identifiers and masking speaker identities; and "Camo AI," which provides automated face-blurring and photo anonymization for protecting personal or family-related images.

"It's time for us to say enough is enough. Our data is not a commodity to be harvested without our consent," Synghal stated. "Building privacy-preserving tech in a single day shows that ethical innovation is more than feasible—it’s urgently necessary."

For over a year, Sundai.Club has convened weekly hackathons, each culminating in a functional AI product by day’s end. It’s a rapid, focused format that fosters collaboration, accelerates skill development, and prioritizes real-world impact. From healthcare to education—and now privacy—the club’s commitment to ethical, solution-oriented AI shines through in every weekend project.

While the Snowstorm Hackathon has concluded, the work continues. Another Sundai.Club hackathon kicks off this Sunday, promising further breakthroughs in AI, privacy, and data sovereignty. The winning project from this past weekend’s event will be announced in tandem, keeping the momentum going for a future where personal data remains precisely that—personal.

Sundai.Club is a thriving community of esteemed Boston-area tech professionals, MIT and Harvard students, driving the possibilities of AI innovation. By assembling each Sunday to brainstorm, build, and deploy a new AI product within 12 hours, the group showcases what can be accomplished with laser-focused collaboration and a shared vision for ethical, human-centered technology.

Valev Laube
The VL Studios
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