Research Intern – Human-AI Experiences (HAX) Team

Research Internships at Microsoft provide a dynamic environment for research careers with a network of world-class research labs led by globally-recognized scientists and engineers. Our researchers and engineers pursue innovation in a range of scientific and technical disciplines to help solve complex challenges in diverse fields, including computing, healthcare, economics, and the environment.

The Human-AI eXperiences (HAX) Team at Microsoft Research is an interdisciplinary and collaborative team that conducts fundamental research at the intersection of human-computer interaction (HCI), artificial intelligence (AI), and software engineering. Our mission is to empower the creation of responsible human-AI experiences to help ensure our AI technologies benefit people and society while mitigating potential harms. We believe that creating responsible human-AI experiences requires a holistic approach including technical advances that touch every aspect of AI-driven technologies including their interfaces, models, data, and underlying systems and socio-technical advances that facilitate the everyday work of AI creators.

Join our growing team next year to pursue topics of interest including (but not limited to):

• Understanding, evaluating, and testing human-AI teams.
• Improving human interaction with AI (e.g., with large language models). For example, through human-centered innovations to ML models, training, and evaluation procedures (e.g., metrics), user interfaces, user training procedures, etc.
• Prototyping, simulating, and testing AI systems with humans-in-the-loop.
• Novel theories for human-AI interaction, e.g., defining and establishing appropriate levels of human trust and reliance on AI systems.
• Novel applications of AI (e.g., LLMs) for augmenting human performance.
• Novel mechanisms for improving human-AI interaction, e.g., by enabling meaningful human oversight, control of, and collaboration with AI systems.
• Developing interactive tools for responsible data collection, model building, and analyses of AI or LLMs.
• Studying and addressing technical or sociotechnical issues related to the creation of responsible AI systems.

Learn more about our team, mission, and related work here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/group/hax-team/

Responsibilities

Interns put inquiry and theory into practice. Alongside fellow doctoral candidates and some of the world’s best researchers, interns learn, collaborate, and network for life. Interns not only advance their own careers, but they also contribute to exciting research and development strides. During the 12-week internship, students are paired with mentors and expected to collaborate with other interns and researchers, present findings, and contribute to the vibrant life of the community. Research internships are available in all areas of research, and are offered year-round, though they typically begin in the summer.

During The 12-week Internship You Will

• Conduct interdisciplinary research via mixed-methods approaches such as qualitative or quantitative studies, building and testing prototypes, running experiments, and conducting data analyses.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary members of the HAX Team, our MSR partners including in the ASI and FATE groups, and people across Microsoft’s responsible AI ecosystem including Aether (Microsoft’s advisory group on AI, Ethics and Effects in Engineering and Research) and the Office of Responsible AI.
• Share results through research product impact, publications, presentations, and/or releasing code or artifacts.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

In addition to the qualifications below, you’ll need to submit a minimum of two reference letters for this position. After you submit your application, a request for letters may be sent to your list of references on your behalf. Note that reference letters cannot be requested until after you have submitted your application, and furthermore, that they might not be automatically requested for all candidates. You may wish to alert your letter writers in advance, so they will be ready to submit your letter.

• Must be currently enrolled in a relevant PhD program in Computer Science or a related field.

Interns are expected to be physically located in their manager’s Microsoft worksite location for the duration of their internship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated technical, critical thinking, and creative skills to drive original research (such as through published papers or released technologies).
• Interdisciplinary expertise in AI and HCI (such as through course work or hands-on experience working with ML/NL systems, HCI methods, and users.).
• Intrinsic interest and curiosity to improve human-AI interaction and impact of AI on people and society and to enable responsible and human-centered AI, especially through interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches when necessary.
• Excellent, proactive communication skills to brainstorm and frame research directions, solutions, and for disseminating research.
• Time management skills and growth mindset.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.