Exploring AI Internships

Whether you're a computer science student eager to shape the future of chatbots and self-driving cars or simply curious about how facial recognition unlocks your phone, AI internships can connect you to technology rapidly moving from science fiction to everyday reality. 

If you're ready to enter the world of artificial intelligence and turn your theoretical knowledge into practical experience that companies seek, discover fundamentals and strategies for landing an AI internship and launching your career.

Types of AI internships

AI internships are typically available in a variety of specializations, such as machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, data science, and more. As an intern, your responsibilities and the experiences available to you will depend on the type of work the company does.

Evaluate your interests and research options to see what AI internship suits you. Whichever you choose, you'll likely gain invaluable hands-on exposure to how theoretical concepts come alive in real-world applications.

Consider the following options and possible learning opportunities associated with each of them:

Machine learning internships

In a machine learning internship, you’ll typically work alongside experienced engineers, potentially experiencing everything from algorithm development to data analysis. Under the guidance of a mentor, you might find yourself debugging code, fine-tuning machine learning models, or exploring the mathematical foundations of AI. 

Natural language processing internships

An NLP internship can be your first step toward becoming an NLP engineer, where you'll create systems that help machines understand and process human language. As an intern, you'll likely use machine learning combined with practical problem-solving to gain experience in designing and building AI models that can analyze text, recognize speech patterns, and generate natural language while constantly fine-tuning their performance. 

Computer vision internships

Professionals in the field of computer vision train machines to understand the visual world. As an intern, you may have the opportunity to work with various industry-standard tools, such as OpenCV, TensorFlow, and PyTorch, to develop systems that can detect objects in real-time and process visual data intelligently. From building facial recognition systems to creating augmented reality experiences, an internship in computer vision has the potential to offer you a variety of opportunities.

Data science internships

As a data science intern, you'll work alongside experienced practitioners to collect, analyze, and interpret data that drives product development. You might have responsibilities such as assisting in creating custom models and algorithms to extract insights from complex data sets or collaborating with cross-functional teams to implement solutions and measure their impact. Your experience as a data science intern may also include learning to program, build models, and create visualizations.

What does an AI intern do?

As an AI intern, you'll likely have the opportunity to participate in hands-on AI development work that can help you build practical skills while also allowing you to contribute to meaningful projects. Consider the following examples of types of work you might experience:

• AI model development: This work can include building and fine-tuning AI models using data preprocessing and cleaning to boost model performance and working hands-on with supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning techniques.

• Research and model analysis: As an intern in this area, you might analyze large data sets to uncover insights that guide AI development, test AI models to ensure they're performing as intended, identify and resolve issues that arise, and provide information on emerging AI trends and best practices. 

• Documentation and technical communication: Maintaining detailed records of AI experiments and development processes will likely be one of your responsibilities as an intern in this area. Additionally, you may help create reports and presentations that communicate findings and AI research outcomes.

• Project collaboration: Interns typically work with various people, including researchers, engineers, and program managers, to develop innovative solutions. 

• Technical growth: An internship can be a great time to gain hands-on experience with industry-standard tools, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Scikit-learn. The opportunity to use these tools in real-life situations can help to accelerate your technical development. 

Beyond your core responsibilities as an AI intern, you may also tackle real-world challenges that make a tangible difference. You might develop specialized chatbots that transform how companies interact with customers, create AI systems that revolutionize how people find career opportunities or build tools that help children with learning challenges. From health care simulations to interactive AI assistants, you'll likely work on diverse projects that push the boundaries of what's possible while learning from experienced mentors who'll help you grow from beginner to contributor.

Skills and qualifications

AI professionals typically possess a unique blend of technical expertise, critical thinking, and ethical understanding. Consider some of the following key skills that can help you secure an AI internship:

• Programming foundation: Knowledge of essential languages like Python, R, or Java, AI/ML libraries, and deep learning frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or scikit-learn, can help you to stand out among other internship candidates. 

• Mathematical mindset: A solid educational foundation in statistics and computational concepts can help you better understand how AI models work.

• Problem-solving and communication: You'll likely need sharp analytical skills to troubleshoot AI models and optimize their performance, paired with the ability to explain your findings and challenges to team members clearly.

Curiosity and Critical Thinking: To effectively spot AI's blind spots, enhance its outputs, and recognize when human judgment is necessary requires thinking critically.

Educational background

Consider starting your path to an AI internship by pursuing a in AI or a related field like . While you can apply for an internship during your studies, a strong foundation in computer science, statistics, and data modeling may help you secure an internship more easily. Experience with cloud platforms, big data technologies, and version control systems may also strengthen your application. Your coursework and projects in machine learning or AI don't need to be extensive—employers understand you're learning. Build your skills gradually throughout college, and consider adding relevant coding certifications to showcase your growing expertise. 

How do I get an AI internship?

Securing an internship may look slightly different, depending on your situation. Still, the first step in the process is to find your internship, with the completion of the application as the likely next step. 

Explore some tips on finding your internship and completing the application process.

Finding your internship

A variety of options for finding an AI internship exist. As you look for an internship, consider the following options: 

• Job boards and websites: Many platforms feature detailed listings and direct application links for various internship opportunities in areas from development to design. These sites can help you match your skills with relevant positions in machine learning, data science, and natural language processing. 

  • Taskade AI Internship Search Generator 

  • GitHub's ai-research-intern-list 

  • Indeed, LinkedIn, and SimplyHired

• Company websites: Major tech companies also run structured internship programs that immerse you in cutting-edge AI projects. Google, for instance, has a permanent part of its website dedicated to internship information.OpenAI also offers a direct path to employment, with its six-month program geared toward researchers and engineers. 

• Academic institutions: University career services can connect you to valuable AI internship opportunities through research programs and industry partnerships. Research programs also provide additional pathways and resources.

Application process and Networking opportunities

Breaking into AI begins with strategic internship applications and building strong industry connections. Successful candidates typically follow three key steps:

• Make yourself stand out: When crafting your resume for AI internships, highlight your technical competencies and provide concrete examples of how you've applied them. Lead with a powerful summary that includes your relevant AI skills and achievements. Use specific metrics and outcomes to demonstrate impact. Include actionable expertise and showcase projects, code samples, and technical documentation by linking to a digital portfolio. 

• Ace the interviews: Prepare for your AI internship interviews by researching the company's AI initiatives and projects to show your interest. Practice explaining complex AI concepts in simple terms, as interviewers often want to see your ability to communicate technical ideas. Prepare concrete examples of your AI projects, focusing on technical implementation, your problem-solving process, and lessons learned. When answering technical questions, think aloud and walk through your reasoning step-by-step—interviewers often care more about your thought process than perfect answers. 

• Connect with the AI community: Build meaningful connections in the AI community through active engagement. Consider joining local AI meetups and conferences. Complement this with an online presence—participate in AI discussions on platforms to collaborate on real projects and showcase your work. You may also want to follow AI leaders on social media to engage thoughtfully with their content and share your insights and projects.

Internship duration and compensation

AI internships offer flexible paths to real-world experience. As you decide if an internship is the right choice for you, you may want to consider the following details regarding duration and compensation: 

• Duration: Options from 10- to 12-week summer programs to 3- to 12-month year-round programs exist for internship seekers. Many positions require a 40-hour weekly commitment, though some companies offer part-time roles. 

• Paid vs. unpaid: While $19 to $21 per hour [1] is the average pay for entry-level positions, you may earn a higher wage depending on your location [2]. 

Benefits of AI internships

Finally, if you’re looking to launch your AI career, your AI internship has more short-term and long-term benefits than you might think. 

• Higher salary and increased job opportunities: AI internships provide valuable hands-on experience with real-world projects and measurable impact. Research from StandOut CV indicates that 66.4 percent of interns secure full-time positions, commanding salaries approximately $15,000 higher than their non-intern counterparts. [3].

• Portfolio building: The time and effort you invest in an AI internship can help you build an employer-ready AI portfolio, with 94 percent of hiring managers prioritizing graduates with internship experience[4]. 

• Networking opportunities: AI internships provide valuable opportunities to connect with industry professionals who can share insights into tech trends and career paths. Beyond the immediate experience, these relationships can lead to job offers and referrals, evolve into mentorship relationships, and help you develop your professional brand.

Secure your AI internship by honing your AI skills on Coursera

An AI internship can help you turn your theoretical knowledge into practical experience that may help you secure a role in artificial intelligence. Take your first step toward an AI internship with Coursera. Learn about generative AI and how it works with Generative AI for Everyone from DeepLearning.AI. Explore ways you can tap into the capabilities of large language models to automate tasks, increase productivity, and augment human intelligence with Vanderbilt University’s Prompt Engineering Specialization.