These Competition Rules apply to all Competitions hosted on McCarthy’s AI. The details that are specific to an individual Competition, such as its objective, required deliverables, timeline, judging criteria, and prize structure, are shown on that Competition’s own page. These Rules and the Competition page work together: the Competition page tells you the specifics; these Rules tell you how every Competition works.
By joining any Competition, you agree to these Competition Rules, the details shown on that Competition’s page, the Participant Agreement, the Terms of Service, and the Privacy Policy. When you submit work, you also agree to the Submission Terms, which assign the intellectual property in your Submission to McCarthy’s. If you do not agree, do not join the Competition.
1.1 McCarthy’s hosts every Competition. Each Competition is hosted and operated by McCarthy’s AI on behalf of a company (the “Sponsor”) that funds it. McCarthy’s, not the Sponsor, is the legal host and operator of every Competition and pays the prizes.
1.2 Each Competition has its own page. The specific details of a Competition, including its name, objective, what you must submit, key dates, judging criteria, prize amounts and structure, and any Competition-specific eligibility requirements or rules, are shown on that Competition’s page on the Platform. Those details form part of these Rules for that Competition.
1.3 If something on a Competition page conflicts with these Rules. The Competition page controls only for the Competition-specific details listed in Section 1.2. For everything else, these Rules, the Participant Agreement, and the Terms of Service control.
2.1 General eligibility. To enter any Competition, you must meet all the eligibility requirements in the Participant Agreement. In particular, you must be at least eighteen (18) years old, must not be a resident of Quebec, Canada, and must not be subject to any sanctions that apply to McCarthy’s.
2.2 Competition-specific eligibility. A Competition may have additional eligibility requirements (for example, being a student, living in a particular country, or having a certain level of experience). Any such requirements are shown on that Competition’s page and apply in addition to the general requirements.
2.3 Conflicts of interest. You may not enter a Competition if you are an employee, officer, director, contractor, or immediate family member of the Sponsor, any Sub-Sponsor, or any External Judge for that Competition, unless the Competition is expressly described on its page as an internal Competition open to the Sponsor’s own people.
3.1 Joining a Competition. You can join a Competition either by being invited directly by the Sponsor, or by applying and being approved by the Sponsor. The Sponsor decides who is admitted, at its discretion. McCarthy’s does not guarantee that you will be admitted to any Competition.
3.2 No entry fee. Participants are never charged a fee to join or compete in a Competition.
3.3 One account, one entry. You may take part using only one Account. Unless a Competition’s page expressly allows more than one Submission, you may make only one Submission per Competition.
4.1 AI tools are allowed and expected. McCarthy’s runs AI competitions, and using AI tools is part of the point. Unless a specific Competition page says otherwise, you may use AI tools to create your Submission.
4.2 You must disclose what you used. When you submit, you must accurately disclose the AI tools and any material third-party resources you used, as required by the Submission Terms. Failing to disclose, or disclosing inaccurately, is a violation even if the tool would have been allowed.
4.3 Competition-specific tool rules. A Competition may require or prohibit particular tools, models, or methods. Any such rules are shown on that Competition’s page and apply in addition to these Rules.
5.1 Deadlines are shown on the Competition page. Each Competition’s application window, submission deadline, and judging period are shown on its page. The submission deadline is stated in a specific time zone; it is your responsibility to convert it to your own local time.
5.2 Late submissions. Submissions received after the deadline will not be accepted, unless McCarthy’s chooses to extend the deadline and notifies Participants.
6.1 Judging criteria. Each Competition is judged according to the criteria shown on its page. You should prepare your Submission against those criteria.
6.2 Who judges. Submissions are judged by the Sponsor, and may also be judged by External Judges the Sponsor has disclosed. The judges assess Submissions against the published criteria.
6.3 Sponsor recommends, McCarthy’s confirms. The Sponsor recommends the Winner or Winners based on the criteria. McCarthy’s then confirms the result after carrying out its checks, which include sanctions screening and a review for any integrity issues. A recommendation is not final until McCarthy’s confirms it. McCarthy’s may decline to confirm, or may disqualify a recommended Winner, as described in these Rules and the Terms of Service.
6.4 Ties. If two or more Submissions are tied, the tie is resolved by the Sponsor in good faith using the judging criteria, unless a Competition’s page sets out a specific tie-break method.
6.5 Decisions are final. Subject to McCarthy’s confirmation and its right to override, judging decisions are final. Any dispute about a result must be raised within the time and in the manner set out in the Participant Agreement.
7.1 Prize details are on the Competition page. The prize amount, the number of Winners, the prize structure (winner-only or winner plus participation prizes), and how any participation prizes are earned are all shown on the Competition’s page.
7.2 Prizes are paid by McCarthy’s. McCarthy’s pays all prizes, not the Sponsor or any Sub-Sponsor. Prizes are paid in U.S. Dollars (USD) via Wise (or another payment method McCarthy’s may use).
7.3 Verification before payout. To receive a prize, you must complete identity verification, provide payment details, and provide any tax documentation required by law, as described in the Participant Agreement. McCarthy’s confirms Winners only after these checks.
7.4 Taxes. Prizes may be subject to withholding tax for non-resident Winners, and you are responsible for your own income tax on any prize, as described in the Participant Agreement.
7.5 Timing. Confirmed prizes are paid within sixty (60) days of Winner confirmation, provided you have supplied everything required.
7.6 Forfeiture. If you are notified that you are a confirmed Winner but do not complete the required verification within sixty (60) days, your prize may be forfeited and offered to a replacement Winner.
8.1 Your Submission becomes McCarthy’s property. When you submit work, you assign all intellectual property in your Submission to McCarthy’s and waive your moral rights to the fullest extent the law allows, as set out in the Submission Terms. McCarthy’s may use your Submission for any lawful purpose, including marketing and training AI systems. The Sponsor does not automatically receive ownership of your Submission.
8.2 Disclose what you used. You must disclose any pre-existing materials, third-party materials, open-source components, and AI tools used in your Submission, and confirm they are licensed in a way that is compatible with this assignment. Full details are in the Submission Terms.
8.3 Using your work in your portfolio. You may show your Submission in your personal portfolio under the limited licence described in the Submission Terms, as long as you note that it was created for a McCarthy’s AI Competition.
9.1 Some Competitions involve confidential materials from the Sponsor, such as datasets, prompts, or business context. Where that is the case, the Competition page will say so, and you may be asked to accept a confidentiality undertaking when you join.
9.2 If a Competition involves confidential materials, you must keep them secret and use them only to prepare your Submission. You must not share another Participant’s Submission.
10.1 Compete honestly. You must follow the Code of Conduct and the anti-cheating rules in the Participant Agreement and the Terms of Service. Among other things, you must not plagiarize, collude, use fake or duplicate accounts, use bots in violation of the rules, offer or accept bribes, or misrepresent your identity, eligibility, or the authorship of your work.
10.2 Investigations and consequences. McCarthy’s may investigate suspected violations and may disqualify any Submission or Participant, suspend or terminate an Account, withhold or reclaim a prize, or void a Competition, as described in the Terms of Service. You must cooperate reasonably with any investigation.
11.1 McCarthy’s may, at its discretion, correct errors, extend deadlines, suspend a Competition, or void a Competition, as described in the Terms of Service. Where reasonably practicable, McCarthy’s will notify Participants of material changes.
11.2 If a Competition is voided, any prizes already paid stand, and McCarthy’s will decide how any unpaid prizes are handled in accordance with the Terms of Service.
12.1 These Competition Rules apply to every Competition and form part of the Participant Agreement. The Participant Agreement, the Submission Terms, the Terms of Service, and the Privacy Policy always apply as well.
12.2 If these Rules conflict with the Participant Agreement or the Terms of Service on a general platform matter, the Participant Agreement or Terms of Service control. These Rules, together with the details shown on each Competition’s page, govern how Competitions are run.
Questions about a Competition can be directed to support@mccarthys.ai.
Manage invitation for competition.
You can successfully announced the winners.
Invite participants of for competition.
