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.

The Sociotechnical Alignment Center (STAC) is a team of researchers, applied scientists, and linguists in Microsoft Research (MSR) who represent part of the research pillar of Microsoft’s Responsible AI efforts. Founded within Microsoft Research in 2022, STAC’s mission is to guide the sociotechnical alignment of AI systems, with a particular emphasis on measuring risks, capabilities, performance, and other properties of these systems. STAC collaborates extensively with researchers from the Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics in AI (FATE) group and other groups across Microsoft.

STAC is looking to hire several Research Interns in Redmond and NYC to conduct research on measuring risks, capabilities, performance, and other properties of AI systems, with a focus on “generative” or “general purpose” systems. STAC’s approach to evaluation is grounded in measurement theory from the social sciences and in statistics. All STAC internships will involve collaborations and/or co-mentorship with one or more FATE researchers.  

STAC is especially interested in candidates with expertise in theoretical and methodological approaches that can be applied to help advance and mature the field of AI system evaluation. Prior experience with AI system evaluation specifically is not required. We especially encourage applications from candidates interested in topics including but not limited to: applications of methodologies from psychometrics and educational testing to the design and validation of evaluations (including methods such as item response theory, factor analysis, and other latent variable models); measurement theory from the social sciences; reliability of generative AI systems and generative AI system evaluation; validity of generative AI system evaluation; improving human and automated annotation methods for use in evaluation; participatory methods in measurement (including how different stakeholders interpret/work with/set goals for AI system measurement).

Applicants should have a demonstrated interest and established expertise in methods applicable to AI system evaluation, and a desire to work in a highly interdisciplinary environment. We welcome applicants with backgrounds in technical fields (e.g., machine learning, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, computer vision, statistics) and applicants with backgrounds in sociotechnical fields (e.g., economics, human-computer interaction, information science, educational testing, psychometrics).

Applicants to the STAC internship may also be interested in applying for the separate FATE NYC internship. Applicants interested in multiple internship opportunities should apply to each posting separately. 

Research Intern FATE NYC (Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics in AI) | Microsoft Careers