Arm Create: AI Optimization Challenge

The challenge

We’re inviting developers to build and submit projects that show how AI can be optimized for Arm-powered platforms across three challenge tracks: Physical AI, Cloud AI, and Mobile AI. Submissions should show clear optimization work and measurable improvements where possible.

Optimizations to look for include:

• Model size
• Model quality
• Model speed
• Inference server speed
• Developer experience
• Arm-specific optimization

Developers can use Arm Performix to get exact benchmarks of their Arm based performance and clearly show their results.

Tracks / categories

• Physical AI: Optimize AI for real-world systems, including robotics, embedded devices, sensors, simulation, autonomy, and edge environments.
• Cloud AI: Optimize AI for scalable infrastructure, including Arm64 cloud, inference performance, frameworks, agents, and production-ready developer workflows.
• Mobile AI: Optimize AI for on-device constraints, including performance, privacy, latency, battery efficiency, and local AI experiences on Arm-powered phones, tablets, and laptops.

Required tech & constraints

• Projects must be built with required developer tools and meet project requirements.
• Submissions for Track 1 & Track 2 must include a copy of the project’s source code, either attached directly or linked to an open-source repository.
• Submissions for Track 3 must include proof artifacts (links/screenshots) as described in the track requirements.
• Participants must be above the legal age of majority in their country of residence. All countries/territories are eligible, excluding standard exceptions.

Submission requirements

• A URL to your public and open-source code repository (e.g., GitHub) with an MIT or Apache 2.0 license.
• A text description explaining the features and functionality of your Project, including:
  • Project Overview: Brief description, purpose, what makes it interesting, and why it should win.
  • Functionality / Output: What the project does and the final output.
  • Setup Instructions: Step-by-step instructions to build/run/validate on an Arm-powered device or Arm64 environment.
• A demonstration video (optional but recommended):
  • Less than three (3) minutes long.
  • Must show the Project functioning on the device for which it was built.
  • Publicly visible on YouTube, Vimeo, or Youku.
  • Must not include third-party trademarks or copyrighted material without permission.

Judging criteria

• Technological Implementation (40 points): Quality of software development, leverage of Arm-powered platforms, soundness of technical approach.
• User Experience / Developer Experience (15 points): Clarity of instructions, documentation structure, reusability potential.
• Potential Impact (20 points): Usefulness to the developer community, creation of reusable artifacts.
• “WOW” factor (25 points): Creativity, compelling approach, usefulness, clarity, ability to capture attention and communicate value.

Prizes

• Overall Winner: $3,000 cash + featured in Arm Community Blog.
• Overall Runner Up: $2,000 cash + featured in Arm Community Blog.
• Best in Category: Physical AI: $1,000 cash + featured in Arm Community Blog.
• Best in Category: Cloud AI: $1,000 cash + featured in Arm Community Blog.
• Best in Category: Mobile AI: $1,000 cash + featured in Arm Community Blog.

Total prizes: $8,000 in cash.