Applied AI Internships

Describe your role as an Applied Intern at Vector.

As an Applied ML intern with the AI Engineering team at Vector, I worked on projects within the Responsible AI domain under the guidance of Shaina Raza. My role involved developing evaluation frameworks to assess multimodal systems, with a focus on fairness, bias, and sustainability. I contributed to both research ideation and implementation, and played a key role in developing datasets, designing testing frameworks, and drawing insights for benchmarking. This experience gave me valuable hands-on exposure to cutting-edge AI technologies and allowed me to contribute meaningfully to impactful research.

What specific projects have you worked on during your internship?

Over the course of my internship, I contributed to three major projects.

The first was VLDBench, a large-scale benchmark for detecting multimodal disinformation in online news using both text and image analysis. My focus was on conducting scalability tests, exploring Deepseek models, drawing analytical observations, and documenting the project—now submitted for review in the ARR Feb 2025 cycle.

The second project involved developing a comprehensive seven-dimensional human-centric framework to evaluate vision-language models on key aspects like fairness, ethical compliance, personalization, and perceptual accuracy. This work is currently in the paper writing phase.

Lastly, I am working on enhancing FairSense, a sustainable AI platform that detects bias in text and images while minimizing environmental impact. I am working on integrating bias metrics and improving the system workflow to support a broader range of models.

How would you describe your overall experience as a Vector intern?

My experience at Vector has been incredibly enriching. As a graduate student focusing in machine learning, this internship couldn’t have come at a better time as it provided the perfect platform to apply my academic knowledge to real-world, research-driven projects with industry relevance. The intellectually stimulating environment, combined with mentorship and open collaboration across the team, helped me stay current with emerging trends and tools in the ML space.

I especially appreciated how inclusive the team was, giving me opportunities to present my work, receive constructive feedback, and continuously grow both my technical and communication skills. I also had the chance to engage in several coffee chats with senior team members, which gave me a deeper understanding of the organization’s work and a clearer picture of where the AI domain is headed.

A special shoutout to Shaina for her constant support and motivation throughout the term. Her guidance truly inspired me to push my limits and contribute meaningfully to each project.

For the IMPACT mentorship program: Which company were you matched with, and what was your role? How has mentorship enhanced your internship experience?

Through the IMPACT mentorship program, I was matched with Melica Mirsafian, a Senior Applied Scientist at Thomson Reuters Labs, who has been an excellent mentor. Her career journey closely mirrored the path I hope to pursue which made our conversations especially insightful.

Our mentorship sessions covered a range of topics, from the industrial application of AI tools and the relevance of research in such roles to the key software skills companies value. I also gained practical advice on presenting myself during interviews, improving interpersonal communication, and navigating team dynamics in a professional environment. This mentorship significantly shaped my growth during the internship, equipping me with both technical and soft skills for my future career.

Describe your role as an Applied Intern at Vector.

As an Applied AI Program Design & Delivery Intern, my role focused on supporting the PM team in the successful delivery of several high-impact initiatives. I worked to identify areas where I could improve or streamline existing processes and provided proactive project management support to ensure that current milestones did not jeopardize future ones. Whether it was flagging potential risks early, helping with documentation, or coordinating between stakeholders, I aimed to contribute wherever possible to keep projects on track and aligned with their broader strategic goals. My approach was always forward-thinking—focused on anticipating needs, minimizing risk, noting areas of improvement for current and future iterations, and maintaining project progress throughout the project phases.

What specific projects have you worked on during your internship?

During my internship, I had the opportunity to assist with multiple impactful initiatives, including the FastLane MLA Program, where I worked closely with Machine Learning Associates and SMEs to help manage the delivery of applied AI solutions through the program. I also contributed to the Responsible Generative AI Governance Roundtable, supporting the development of a white paper and governance guide used by organizations navigating ethical AI adoption. Additionally, I also supported the team in organizing the Deployment of AI Models Bootcamp which helped equip participating sponsor companies with the technical and operational knowledge needed to deploy AI models effectively and efficiently.

How would you describe your overall experience as a Vector intern?

My internship at Vector was an incredible experience that not only deepened my understanding of AI program delivery but also strengthened my capabilities as a project manager. I had the opportunity to work alongside passionate professionals/team members and contribute to high-impact initiatives within the industry. The dynamic nature of applied AI projects at Vector taught me how to navigate complexity, manage shifting priorities, and support cross-functional teams effectively—skills that were instrumental in helping me qualify for and earn my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Beyond the applicable exposure, what truly stood out was the supportive, collaborative environment that encouraged growth, learning, and a forward-thinking mindset. It truly helped in shaping both my confidence and career direction within the AI space.

Describe your role as an Applied Intern at Vector.

As an Applied AI Program Design and Delivery Intern at the Vector Institute, I played a cross-functional role in supporting the design, coordination, and delivery of AI education programs for industry professionals and partners. I contributed to workshops, boot camps, roundtables, and other knowledge-sharing sessions, supporting everything from logistics and stakeholder engagement to content development and session facilitation. My work also involved synthesizing practitioner insights into actionable takeaways and supporting internal knowledge management efforts to improve program continuity and impact. I functioned as a project specialist in many ways, bringing a blend of coordination, communication, and design thinking to help translate complex AI concepts into practical, accessible learning experiences. The experience sharpened my ability to manage multidisciplinary projects and collaborate across teams to support responsible AI adoption in real-world settings.

What specific projects have you worked on during your internship?

During my internship at Vector, I had the opportunity to contribute to a variety of projects across Vector’s industry-focused AI education programs. I supported the coordination and delivery of several bootcamps, including those on Federated Learning, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Deployment of AI models, and Model Interpretability. I also helped organize and facilitate roundtables exploring topics like AI change management and the Return on investment (ROI) of AI in enterprise settings.

As part of the Business Insights Series, I contributed to sessions covering emerging topics such as AI legislation, AI Change management, tech trends in business, and practical applications of advanced models—including diffusion models for tabular and time series data, fine-tuning and alignment of large language models (LLMs), and strategies for AI model deployment.

In addition to my core responsibilities, I took the initiative to support other areas across Vector. I collaborated with a colleague to design and build an automation pipeline to streamline the bootcamp certificate generation and distribution process, an effort that improved efficiency and reduced manual overhead for the project managers. I also volunteered with the Health team to contribute to AI implementation projects in healthcare settings. These experiences were driven by the wide range of learning opportunities available at Vector and my desire to stretch my skills, explore new domains, and contribute wherever I could add value.

How would you describe your overall experience as a Vector intern?

My experience as a Vector intern has been incredibly enriching, both professionally and personally. From day one, I was immersed in high-impact projects that not only challenged me but also allowed me to grow as a project coordinator, communicator, and collaborator. Through my involvement in AI bootcamps, roundtables, and knowledge mobilization initiatives, I developed a stronger grasp of applied AI concepts, stakeholder engagement, and end-to-end program delivery. I also gained hands-on experience in project management, facilitation, automation design, and cross-functional teamwork.

What made the experience truly special was the people. The culture at Vector is one that encourages curiosity, shared learning, and leadership at all levels, including interns. I was constantly inspired by colleagues who were not only experts in their fields but also eager to mentor, collaborate, and empower others. Interns were treated as valuable contributors and given space to lead, explore ideas, and build a well-rounded understanding of the workforce.

I’m walking away from this internship with not only new skills, but also lasting relationships and a clearer sense of how I want to contribute to the AI and digital health ecosystem. I look forward to leveraging everything I’ve gained at Vector, from the technical and strategic skills to the community and connections, as I continue to grow in my career.

For the IMPACT mentorship program: Which company were you matched with, and what was your role? How has mentorship enhanced your internship experience?

I had the privilege of participating in the IMPACT mentorship program for two consecutive terms, where I was matched with mentors from KPMG and Roche. Both experiences were incredibly valuable and played a key role in shaping my internship journey and broader career aspirations.

At KPMG, I was mentored by a consultant who provided thoughtful guidance on how to navigate the intersection of healthcare and technology. One of the most impactful moments was a presentation session where I pitched a digital health solution in the role of a consultant. I also designed a technical architecture diagram to illustrate how the proposed solution would integrate into an existing healthcare workflow, bringing together skills I had developed through Vector’s bootcamps and my academic coursework. The experience significantly strengthened my communication, technical storytelling, and systems thinking skills, all of which I plan to carry forward into future roles in digital health consulting and strategy.

My second mentorship term with Roche helped me explore how the pharmaceutical industry is evolving with AI and digital health. With my background in pharmacy, it was incredibly insightful to see how emerging technologies are being applied across the drug development lifecycle and patient engagement strategies. My mentor offered tailored advice, shared relevant resources, and helped me identify meaningful ways to bridge my clinical background with the world of AI-driven innovation in healthcare.

Overall, the mentorship program provided a safe space to ask questions, receive career-aligned feedback, and build confidence. I’m excited to take the insights, skills, and relationships I gained into my future career, whether it’s in digital health implementation, product development, or innovation strategy.

Current: M.Sc in computer science at York University, Researcher at Center of Vision Research

What did you learn during your internship?

During my internship at the Vector Institute, I expanded my expertise beyond computer vision, gaining insights into deep learning applications in forecasting and natural language processing. The Institute’s interdisciplinary environment exposed me to diverse AI domains, fostering adaptability and reinforcing the value of collaboration. I look forward to applying these skills in future professional pursuits.

How did you discover you were interested in AI?

My interest in AI was sparked when I applied for the Vector Scholarship in AI as part of my graduate program journey. Receiving this prestigious scholarship opened doors to the vibrant Vector community, where I had the privilege of engaging with distinguished researchers, esteemed faculty members, and fellow graduate students. Immersed in this stimulating environment, I was captivated by the myriad applications of AI across diverse domains, a realization that fueled my passion for the field.