Research AI Engineer Intern 2027

Introduction

At IBM Research, we are the innovation engine of IBM. Exploring what’s next in computing and shaping the technologies the world will rely on tomorrow. From advancing AI and hybrid cloud to pioneering practical quantum computing, we anticipate challenges and unlock new opportunities for clients, partners, and society. Working in Research means joining a team that accelerates discovery at the intersection of high-performance computing, AI, quantum, and cloud. You’ll collaborate with leading scientists, engineers, and visionaries to push boundaries and turn ideas into reality. With a culture built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration, IBM Research offers the opportunity to grow your career while contributing to breakthroughs that transform industries and change the world.

Your role and responsibilities

We are seeking a highly motivated Research AI Engineer Intern to join our team and help build, test, and deploy real-world applications of AI. In this role, you’ll work closely with engineers, researchers, and product managers to translate cutting-edge AI techniques into practical solutions for enterprise and user-facing applications, as well as contribute to the development of AI tools and platforms that improve how AI systems are built and deployed.

This internship is ideal for MS/PhD students who are passionate about LLMs, generative AI, and applied machine learning—and who want hands-on experience creating AI-driven tools, workflows, and prototypes.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with AI researchers and engineers to design, prototype, and implement AI solutions.

• Work with large language models (LLMs), multimodal models, and agentic frameworks to solve real-world use cases.

• Design, build, and maintain AI agent frameworks and platforms that enable scalable orchestration, tool integration, and autonomous task execution across enterprise and user-facing applications.

• Develop experimental demos, proof-of-concepts, and integrations that showcase the value of AI.

• Stay current with recent AI research and propose ways to bring new methods into practical applications.

What You’ll Gain:

• Hands-on experience working with state-of-the-art AI models and systems.

• Mentorship from experienced engineers and researchers.

• Opportunity to build portfolio-worthy AI applications and demos.

• Exposure to enterprise-scale AI development and deployment practices.

Required technical and professional expertise

• Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (MS/PhD).

• Strong programming skills in Python.

• Familiarity with machine learning fundamentals, natural language processing and generative AI.

• Strong problem-solving mindset and ability to work in a collaborative team environment.

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Understanding of MLOps concepts (model deployment, monitoring, scaling).

• Prior experience with open-source contributions, research projects, or hackathons related to AI.

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.