# COBOL dev won .Net hackathon with help from AI - and their CIO loves it

DevFeed: [COBOL dev won .Net hackathon with help from AI - and their CIO loves it](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/cobol-dev-won-net-hackathon-with-help-from-ai-and-their-cio-loves-it-26615.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/09/15/cobol-dev-won-net-hackathon-with-help-from-ai-and-their-cio-loves-it/5296438>)

Author: Simon Sharwood

Published: 2026-09-15T01:47:17Z

Content type: news

Language: en

Sources: [www.theregister.com - Articles](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/www-theregister-com-articles.md>)

Topics: [AdventureX 2025](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/adventurex2025.md>), [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>), [.NET](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/net.md>), [Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/development.md>), [coding](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/coding.md>)

Tags: [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [ai-and-ml](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai-and-ml.md>), [australia](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/australia.md>), [cobol](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cobol.md>), [coding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/coding.md>), [copilot](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/copilot.md>), [dev](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/dev.md>), [hackathon](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/hackathon.md>), [mainframe](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mainframe.md>), [net](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/net.md>), [public-sector](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/public-sector.md>)

## AI overview

The article reports that a COBOL developer won a .NET hackathon with help from AI, a result praised by their CIO. The supplied summary also describes the Australia Taxation Office using Copilot practice to develop skills for future AI work.

## Source excerpt

Australia Taxation Office sees footling with Copilot as a way to develop 'muscles' for real AI work