Research Intern - Conversational AI

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, who 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.

Semantic Machines and the Microsoft Search, Assistant and Intelligence (MSAI) team are looking for Research Interns to help invent the next generation of conversational artificial intelligence (AI). We are building Microsoft 365 Copilot Business Chat. Our mission is to understand the language and behavior of our users as they work and collaborate using Microsoft productivity apps and their Copilots, which are GPT-4-powered dialogue agents that connect to real-world application programing interfaces (APIs). Our work focuses on:

• Training, controlling, rapidly modifying, and automatically adapting BizChat behaviors.
• Decomposition and reasoning to handle user requests.
• Personalization and memory.
• Modeling user actions (non-linguistic behavior) and implicit feedback.
• Grounding and attribution within BizChat responses.
• Large language model (LLM) inference cost and latency reduction.
• Model-assisted data collection and evaluation.
• New open-domain, multimodal, and contextual dialogue experiences.
• Machine learning approaches to support these goals.

Required Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a PhD program in Computer Science or a related STEM field.
• At least 1 year of experience with natural language processing (NLP) and/or machine learning (ML).

Other Requirements

• Research Interns are expected to be physically located in their manager’s Microsoft worksite location for the duration of their internship.
• In addition to the qualifications below, you’ll need to submit a minimum of two reference letters for this position as well as a cover letter and any relevant work or research samples. 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. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Track record of publications in top NLP or ML venues.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Familiarity with large language models, dialogue systems, grounded/multimodal language, and/or NLP evaluation.
• Familiarity with structured prediction, reinforcement learning, human-in-the-loop ML, and/or privacy-preserving ML.
• Experience with deep learning software platforms, such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.

The base pay range for this internship is USD $6,550 - $12,880 per month. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $8,480 - $13,920 per month.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: 

Microsoft accepts applications and processes offers for these roles on an ongoing basis.

Research Interns put inquiry and theory into practice. Alongside fellow doctoral candidates and some of the world’s best researchers, Research Interns learn, collaborate, and network for life. Research Interns not only advance their own careers, but they also contribute to exciting research and development strides. During the 12-week internship, Research Interns are paired with mentors and expected to collaborate with other Research 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.