The Best AI Startup Internships
Tracked at 10k top companies
Looking for a paid AI internship in Summer or Fall 2025? Whether you’re an undergraduate computer science student, a recent graduate (Class of 2025), or a graduate student in AI/ML, this handpicked list of startup internships features the most exciting opportunities in artificial intelligence, machine learning, LLMs, and data science. Our team at Simplify curates and updates these internship roles daily, covering everything from backend engineering at generative AI companies to natural language processing (NLP) research internships at startups building cutting-edge language models.
Each internship on this list is a paid summer opportunity, often part of structured 12-week programs designed to give students real-world experience in high-impact roles. Top VCs like Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Y Combinator, and Index Ventures support these startups. Roles range from AI and ML Intern to Software Engineering Intern, Computer Vision Intern, MLOps Intern, and more, perfect for students with interests in Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, FastAPI, Databricks, Kubernetes, and modern ML tooling.
We include remote AI internships, hybrid roles, and in-person programs in tech hubs like San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, Austin, Toronto, and London. Many of these positions offer relocation support, flexible work options, and the chance to transition into a full-time return offer post-internship. Whether you’re looking to work on LLM infrastructure, real-time data pipelines, or machine learning operations, you’ll find a wide variety of skill-matched and location-flexible internships on this list.
This list is perfect for CS majors seeking summer experience in AI, 2026 and 2027 grads applying for remote ML internships, students interested in AI startups working on cutting-edge tools and models, candidates targeting companies similar to FAANG/MAANG but at an earlier stage, interns looking for tech internships that pay well, offer high ownership, and meaningful mentorship.
Use Simplify to filter internships by tech stack, location, skill requirements, and startup stage. Each listing includes detailed job descriptions, tech focus areas (e.g., NLP, computer vision, backend AI systems), company background, funding details, and a signal on whether the internship is remote, hybrid, or in-person. Get matched to roles that align with your goals, and apply with confidence.
- 5d
GleanInternshipProduct Management Intern - Admin Console$60/hrMountain View, CA$60/hr5d - today
LambdaInternshipAccounting AI Intern$28 - $35/hrSan Francisco, CA$28 - $35/hrtoday - 6dLambdaInternshipData Center Electrical Modeling Intern$41 - $55/hrSan Francisco, CA$41 - $55/hr6d
- 6d
DatabricksInternshipAI Engineer - Forward Deployed EngineerRemote in Spain---6d - 6dDatabricksInternshipAI Engineer - Forward Deployed EngineerParis, France---6d
- 6dLambdaInternshipData Center Mechanical Engineer InternSan Francisco, CA---6d
- 6dLambdaInternshipField Engineering InternSan Francisco, CA---6d
- today
CrusoeInternshipElectrical Apprentice$27 - $39/hrBrighton, CO$27 - $39/hrtoday - 6dDatabricksInternshipAI Engineer - Forward Deployed EngineerRemote in UK---6d
Explore our FAQ section to learn more.
You’re often closer to cutting-edge research or early product-market fit. Interns might work on things like LLM integrations, data pipeline tuning, or prompt evaluation, not just frontend tickets. Many AI startups move fast and expect interns to contribute to live products, not shadow full-timers.
For technical roles, you’ll need Python experience and comfort working with libraries like PyTorch, Transformers, or LangChain. You don’t need to train models from scratch, but showing you’ve used open models in a project, or built something with real user interaction, goes a long way. For non-technical roles, showing you understand the product and use cases matters more than buzzwords.
Surprisingly, many AI startups pay competitively, $25–50/hr is common, especially if they’re well-funded (e.g., YC, Sequoia, a16z-backed). Some offer equity or housing help. That said, seed-stage startups may pay less or only offer equity, so always ask about funding stage and compensation upfront.
Yes, especially if you apply for roles like product, operations, marketing, or design. But you need to show curiosity and understanding of the space. Read AI company blogs, follow product launches, and write short takes on them. Non-technical interns who can help translate AI capabilities into usable products are in demand.
You might prototype new LLM features, fine-tune models with domain-specific data, or build internal tooling for the research team. Non-technical interns may handle user research, help with product documentation, or evaluate outputs for accuracy. Many startups give interns ownership over specific experiments or features.
Build and ship something small but relevant. Clone a simple chatbot with OpenAI’s API. Write a blog post analyzing prompt patterns. Contribute a fix to an open-source LLM repo. Even a short Loom video walking through your project can make your application memorable, especially to startups that care more about execution than pedigree.
