Human-Centered AI Research Intern, Human Language Models

Toyota Research Institute•Los Altos, CA

1d•$45 - $65•Hybrid

About The Position

Toyota Research Institute (TRI) is seeking a PhD research intern for its Adaptive Behavior Systems team within the Human-Centered AI Division. The intern will work with an interdisciplinary team of researchers to advance LLM-based human modeling and simulation. The research will examine how language-based generative machine learning models represent human intentions and behavior, and develop methods to evaluate how well these models capture individual differences and diverse human perspectives. The project will focus on a specific sub-area of the broader research program, and the intern will participate in discussions about how the research connects to business impact at Toyota. This is a paid 12-week Summer 2027 internship and a hybrid, in-office role. The intended outcome is research that informs internal strategy and may be publishable in an academic journal or conference. The pay range at commencement is $45–$65 per hour for California-based roles; base pay depends on individualized factors such as experience, skills, job-related knowledge, and market location.

Requirements

Be a Ph.D. student in AI/ML, computer science, computational social science, or a related field.
Have research experience with LLMs and a publication record in relevant topics, such as LLM evaluation and benchmarking, personalization and user modeling, LLM post-training and alignment, or computational human modeling.
Have experience with Python programming and deep-learning frameworks such as PyTorch.
Have an interest in human-centered research, such as behavioral science or computational social science.
Have excellent communication and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

Scope a research project aligned with the team’s core research efforts.
Lead the technical plan, including problem formulation, model development, and evaluation design, with regular feedback from the mentor and teammates.
Execute the project using TRI resources.
Present the project’s approach and findings in research meetings to the Adaptive Behavior Systems Department, the HCAI Division, TRI, and stakeholders from Toyota business groups.
Engage in strategy discussions about the research’s connection to Toyota business impact.