Jonathan Klapwijk’s Post

We did it!   I’m thrilled to share that our team **won** in the **Research** category at the **Build-a-Bot Hackathon**, co-hosted by the University of Oxford and OpenAI as part of their five-year partnership launched in March 2025. Our winning project, a **customGPT**, is a cutting-edge AI solution for advanced data science and statistical modelling. It empowers researchers, analysts, and data scientists to tackle complex quantitative challenges by providing step-by-step solutions and best practices—ultimately enhancing decision-making, accelerating research, and unveiling deeper insights into intricate data. This hackathon is the first of many stages into understanding the role of AI in research and impact, as supported by Professor Patrick Grant, Oxford's Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, who emphasised: > “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is accelerating the pace of scientific discovery and enabling researchers to work with increasingly complex data sets. The University aims to be at the forefront of AI research and the application of AI for all researchers, by producing ground-breaking studies to help both scholars and society not only adapt to these technologies but also harness them wisely to their full potential.” **Special thanks** to: - Anna Jenkins (OpenAI’s Solutions Engineer) and her OpenAI team for a fantastic workshop on advanced GPTs and Custom Actions, as well as co-hosting the event. - Alwyn Collinson and his team at the University of Oxford’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning competency centre for organising and supporting this type of work. - The Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford for the invitation to be part of this hackathon. And, - My incredible teammates, Enrico Benassi and Steffen Redeker, for their dedication and expertise directed towards this cause. I’m beyond excited about this achievement and grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such an inspiring community. This experience reaffirms the transformative potential of AI in research and beyond—and I can’t wait to see what comes next!