2027 Summer Intern, PhD, Research, World Action Model
About this role
The day-to-day work for this internship involves researching, implementing, and evaluating world action models specifically for end-to-end autonomous driving systems. Interns will collaborate directly with research and engineering teams to enhance the Waymo World Model, which is central to safely operating autonomous vehicles. This role exists to address open problems in autonomous driving through advanced machine learning solutions, aiming to enable Waymo vehicles to operate safely across various cities and driving conditions. Furthermore, the team engages in collaborations with other research groups within Alphabet to push the boundaries of autonomous technology. This internship provides a structured environment where interns apply their academic knowledge to create tangible impact for the company.
This position is ideal for a Ph.D. candidate who is looking to apply deep theoretical knowledge to complex, real-world engineering challenges. The ideal candidate is someone who thrives on both rigorous research and hands-on implementation. They should be comfortable contributing to cutting-edge research while also communicating their findings effectively to the academic community through technical reports or publications. Individuals who enjoy the intersection of reinforcement learning, generative modeling, and robust evaluation would find this opportunity highly suitable.
What you will do
- Research, implement, and evaluate world action models designed for end-to-end autonomous driving tasks.
- Collaborate with research and engineering teams to make improvements to the Waymo World Model.
- Conduct advanced research in areas such as reinforcement learning, learning from demonstration, and generative modeling.
- Potentially communicate research findings to the broader academic community through technical reports or publications.
What you need
- Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Robotics, Machine Learning, Electrical Engineering, or a related field is required.
- A strong publication record in top-tier AI/ML or robotics conferences is necessary.
- Must possess hands-on experience training and evaluating deep learning models for autonomous driving or robotics applications.
- Requires strong Python coding skills coupled with expertise in modern deep learning frameworks like PyTorch, JAX, or TensorFlow.
- A deep understanding of modern neural network architectures and learning paradigms is essential.
Nice to have
- Experience with diffusion / flow matching models
- Experience with world action models in autonomous driving or robotics applications
- Familiarity with autonomous driving datasets
- Experience with open-source foundation models
Benefits
- Eligibility to participate in the Company’s generous benefits programs, subject to eligibility requirements
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the remote policy for this internship?
This will be a hybrid onsite internship position.
What is the compensation for this role?
The expected hourly rate for this full-time position is listed below, which is $85 — $85 USD.
What are the core technologies used in this role?
The required tech stack includes Python and modern deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch, JAX, and TensorFlow.
What is the team structure like?
Interns will partner with leaders in the industry on projects that create impact to the company.