Research Scientist Intern (Data-TnS-Algo)- 2025 Summer (PhD)

Tiktok - Seattle, WA

Full-time - Intern

Seattle, WA

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services

About the position

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video, and our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. Our global headquarters are located in Los Angeles and Singapore, with additional offices in major cities around the world. At TikTok, we believe that creation is at the core of our purpose, and we strive to help imaginations thrive. This philosophy extends to our teams, who work together to overcome challenges and drive impact for our users and communities. The algorithm team plays a crucial role in developing advanced computer vision, natural language processing (NLP), and multimodality models and algorithms. These efforts are essential for protecting our platform and users from content and behaviors that violate community guidelines and local regulations. By continuously innovating, we aim to provide the best user experience and spread joy globally. We are currently seeking talented individuals for a summer internship in 2025. This internship program is designed to offer students industry exposure and hands-on experience, allowing them to turn their ambitions into reality. Interns will engage in a vibrant mix of social events and development workshops, providing opportunities for personal and professional growth. The internship will last for 12 weeks, starting in May or June 2025, with specific start dates available. Candidates must clearly state their availability in their resumes and can apply for a maximum of two positions. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early application is encouraged. Successful candidates will participate in a technical online assessment via HackerRank after passing the resume evaluation. The responsibilities of the internship include developing computer vision or multimodality models to recognize violation content, exploring the application of large language models (LLM) in business scenarios, understanding and optimizing TikTok's moderation system, and collaborating with product teams to enhance trust and safety strategies.

Responsibilities

• Develop computer vision model or multimodality model to recognize violation content in TikTok.
• Explore the application of LLM in our business scenarios, like pre-training, zero-shot/few-shot learning, hard case mining, etc.
• Deep understanding of TikTok moderation system and propose optimized method on current moderation system.
• Collaborate with product teams to define business objectives and improve trust and safety strategy.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a PhD in Software Development, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Able to commit to working for 12-24 weeks during the Summer of 2025.
• Solid knowledge in at least one of the following areas: machine learning, large language models, NLP, multi-modal models, LLM, and data mining.
• Good understanding of data structures and algorithms.
• Passion about techniques and solving challenging problems.

Nice-to-haves

• Great communication and teamwork skills.

Benefits

• Hands-on experience in developing fundamental skills.
• Opportunities to explore potential career paths.
• Vibrant blend of social events and enriching development workshops.