An AI-driven browser extension that can be used to analyze and rate bot-like behavior patterns on social media platforms like X and Reddit won first place in the fifth annual Greater Good Challenge. The Challenge, organized by the Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS) and the School’s Career Design Lab with support from the Beba Foundation, was held in the fall semester, and showcased projects from 10 teams.
In their presentation, Shepherd—the team that developed the winning project—described the proliferation of AI-led bot farms focused on inflating web traffic and producing fake reviews of products and services in order to influence consumer behavior. This influx of bots has made user feedback less trustworthy. To combat the problem, Shepherd’s Bot Detection Tool fights AI with AI, using large language model (LLM) tools to analyze and score, via a point system, the likelihood that a given user is a bot.
“This experience has left us more motivated than ever to elevate our business and demonstrate how our product—an AI-driven browser extension designed to detect bots online—can drive meaningful societal change across fields like journalism and finance,” Shepherd said. The team was composed of student and alumni members Yanning Tan, Anny Weng, Peter Shrieve-Don, Henry Keyser, and Martín Rabaglia. SPS Professor of Professional Practice and Program Director of the M.S. in Technology Management Shahryar Shaghaghi served as coach.
Second place went to BlueHarmony Project, a project focused on protecting marine ecosystems through integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), a sustainable fish-farming practice that uses the waste of one fish species to provide food for another. This work by Syaif Shidiq, Giorgi Liklikadze, Maulidya Rahmania Atikahand, with the support of coach Katherine Aul Cervonia, focused on the pilot site of Bontang, a city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
The third-place winner was Sante Health, whose project uses AI, GIS, and real-time surveillance to map high-risk areas to prevent infectious diseases outbreaks before they happen. The team, led by Mirele Pereira, Victoria Rentrop, and Kenan Weaver, used its understanding of sanitation scenarios and the healthcare market of Brazil to start its prediction model, and aims to expand across Latin America and beyond. Rodrigo Prado served as coach.
Competing teams highlighted a wide range of solutions to the multitude of challenges in today’s world. From the sustainable home solution presented by EcoHouse Studio, to the redesign of a pediatric medical device proposed by ADONIX MEDICAL, the Greater Good Challenge was a showcase of the valuable work being done by members of the Columbia community to make a positive change in the world.
In introductory remarks at the event, Kelly Ahn, associate dean of the Career Design Lab noted that the competition first began in 2020, “with a goal of giving entrepreneurs a platform to share innovative, sustainable, and impactful solutions to today’s pressing challenges.” Winners compete for up to $20,000 in prize money, with some past winners also seeing their ventures seeded by outside investors.
Each year, students and alumni from around the world submit proposals pitching innovative business solutions that address current global and societal needs. Participants team up and work with a coach to prepare their formal pitches. During the Challenge, one or two representatives from each team are given five minutes to present their proposals, followed by a three-minute Q&A session with a judge.
“It is wonderful to see that students continue to be interested in having a positive impact in the world, through their innovative business proposals,” said Paul Maniaci, assistant director of the Career Design Lab. “The Challenge remains a unique opportunity to collaborate in the name of social good.”
About the Career Design Lab
Exclusively available to students and alumni of the Columbia University School of Professional Studies, the Career Design Lab provides individualized career coaching that covers overall career assessments, resume and cover letter writing, agile internship and job search strategies, personal branding, interview skills, career transitions, salary negotiations, and more.
