Hacktoberfest Week 2 Challenge: Build Open-Source AI Side Hustles for Prizes

The second week of Hacktoberfest's five-week DEV Challenges began on October 11, 2026, running until October 18. Participants are tasked with building new projects using open-source AI or open-weight models that solve real-world problems for potential users. The challenge will select one overall winner and 17 category winners, with a total prize pool of $2,550 distributed among 18 winners. Projects should demonstrate how the open-source approach provides advantages over closed systems, such as cost savings or data privacy.