Machine Learning Scientist Intern (TikTok-Content application) - 2026 Start (PhD)

Machine Learning Scientist Intern (TikTok-Content Ecology—LLM application) - 2026 Start (PhD)

Location: San Jose

Employment Type: Intern

Job Code: A200519

The Content Ecology Algorithm Team drives TikTok's AI innovations in LLMs, NLP, Computer Vision (CV), multimodal learning, and recommendation algorithms. We develop cutting-edge AI capabilities that power multiple business lines, including Local Services, Search, Core Video Architecture, Professional Content (PGC), and User Growth (UG). Our work includes:

• Short Video Content Understanding – Building multimodal AI models to analyze video, text, and speech.
• Global Trending Event Detection – Developing real-time AI systems to detect viral trends worldwide.
• Intelligent Customer Service – Implementing chatbot and automation solutions using LLMs.
• AI-Driven Content Discovery – Enhancing personalized content recommendations through advanced algorithms.

With millions of daily users, our work directly impacts TikTok's growth and user engagement. We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2026. Internships at TikTok aim to offer students industry exposure and hands-on experience. Turn your ambitions into reality as your inspiration brings infinite opportunities at TikTok. PhD internships at TikTok provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to our products and research, and to the organization's future plans and emerging technologies. Our dynamic internship experience blends hands-on learning, enriching community-building and development events, and collaboration with industry experts. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early. Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date).

Responsibilities:

• Develop and optimize LLM, NLP, CV, and recommendation models to improve TikTok's content ecosystem.
• Implement multimodal AI solutions, integrating video, text, and speech understanding.
• Optimize LLM-powered search, discovery, and content recommendation systems for better user engagement.
• Train and fine-tune deep learning models using TensorFlow, PyTorch, or other ML frameworks.
• Deploy and scale machine learning solutions in a distributed computing environment.
• Work closely with AI researchers, software engineers, and business teams to apply AI technologies effectively.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, AI, or a related field.
• Strong programming skills in Python, C++, or similar languages.
• Hands-on experience with deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Solid understanding of machine learning, NLP, CV, or recommendation algorithms.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with distributed computing and optimizing AI models for real-world applications.
• Ability to apply machine learning techniques to enhance business and user experiences.
• Publications in top AI/ML conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, ACL, etc.) or strong contributions to open-source AI projects.

By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy.

For Pay TransparencyCompensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern

The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $60- $60.

Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more. Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year). Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.

The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

About TikTok

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Why Join Us

Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.

We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.

Diversity & Inclusion

TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

TikTok Accommodation

TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at