At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re conducting research to amplify human ability, focusing on making our lives safer and more sustainable. Led by Dr. Gill Pratt, TRI’s team of researchers develops technologies to advance AI, robotics, driving, and material sciences. We’re dedicated to building a world of “mobility for all” where everyone, regardless of age or ability, can live in harmony with technology to enjoy a better life. Through innovations in AI, we will:
- Develop technology for vehicles and robots to help people enjoy new levels of independence, access, and mobility.
- Bring advanced mobility technology to market faster.
- Discover new materials that will make batteries and hydrogen fuel cells smaller, lighter, less expensive, and more powerful.
Our work is guided by a dedication to safety– seen in how we research, develop, and validate the performance of vehicle technology to benefit society. As a subsidiary of Toyota, TRI is fueled by a diverse and inclusive community of people who carry invaluable leadership, experience, and ideas from industry-leading companies. Over half of our technical team holds PhD degrees. We’re continually searching for the world’s best talent ‒ people who are ready to define the new world of mobility with us!
We strive to build a company that helps our people thrive, achieve work-life balance, and bring their best selves to work. At TRI, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds ‒ a fun start-up environment with brilliant people who enjoy solving tough problems and the financial backing to successfully achieve our goals. Come work with TRI if you’re interested in transforming mobility through designing safer cars, enabling the elderly to age in place, or designing alternative fuel sources. Start your impossible with us.
The intern will scope and execute a research project focused on LLM-based human modeling and simulation.
They will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team to develop evaluation methods and present findings to internal stakeholders.
What you need
Candidates must be currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program in AI, computer science, or a related field.
A strong research background with LLMs, proficiency in Python and PyTorch, and a publication record are required.
Education: a postgraduate degree
Key skills
Machine learningLarge language modelsPythonPyTorchHuman-computer interactionBehavioral scienceComputational social scienceLLM evaluationUser modelingData analysisResearch methodologyTechnical communication
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At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team advancing the state of the art in AI, robotics, driving, and material sciences.
This is a paid 12-week internship opportunity and is a hybrid, in-office role.
Here’s a glimpse into the Internship experience from some of our TRI interns!
The Team
This internship opportunity falls within the Adaptive Behavior Systems team of Human-Centered AI Division (HCAI). We are an integrated team of researchers with backgrounds in machine learning, the behavioral sciences, and human-computer interaction. At the core of our work, we aim to create technologies that prioritize human-centered outcomes and enable purposeful human futures.
The Internship
We are seeking a PhD research intern to join our Adaptive Behavior Systems team to push the boundaries of LLM-based human modeling and simulation. The intern will collaborate with our interdisciplinary team to study how language-based generative machine learning models represent human intentions and behavior and develop methods for evaluating how well these models capture individual differences and diverse human perspectives. The project will be focused on a specific sub-area of the overall research program. The intern will further engage in strategy discussions about how the research connects to business impact at Toyota.
This is a Summer 2027 paid 12-week internship opportunity. Please note that this internship will be a hybrid in-office role.
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Responsibilities
In collaboration with your mentor and the other researchers in the department, you will:
Scope a research project to align with our core research efforts
Be the primary driver of the technical plan (e.g., problem formulation, model development, evaluation design) with regular feedback from your 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, and TRI, as well as for stakeholders from Toyota business groups
Our goal is that you end the internship with work that informs internal strategy and may be publishable in an academic journal or conference.
Qualifications
Ph.D. Student in related fields - AI/ML, computer science, computational social science, or related field
Research experience with LLMs and a publication record in relevant topics. Relevant areas include: LLM evaluation and benchmarking, personalization and user modeling, LLM post-training and alignment, and computational human modeling.
Experience with Python programming and DL frameworks like PyTorch.
Interest in human-centered research (e.g. behavioral science, computational social science).
Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
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Please add a link to Google Scholar to include a full list of publications when submitting your CV for this position.
The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $45 and $65/hour for California-based roles. Base pay offered will depend on multiple individualized factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate's experience, skills, job-related knowledge, and market location. TRI offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, and paid time off benefits (including holiday pay and sick time). Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Please reference this Candidate Privacy Notice to inform you of the categories of personal information that we collect from individuals who inquire about and/or apply to work for Toyota Research Institute, Inc. or its subsidiaries, including Toyota A.I. Ventures GP, L.P., and the purposes for which we use such personal information.
TRI is fueled by a diverse and inclusive community of people with unique backgrounds, education and life experiences. We are dedicated to fostering an innovative and collaborative environment by living the values that are an essential part of our culture. We believe diversity makes us stronger and are proud to provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all, without regard to an applicant’s race, color, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, religion, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state or local laws.
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.
