Research Scientist Intern - Monetization GenAI
About the job
- Currently pursuing a PhD in computer science, machine learning, or similar fields.
- Hands-on experience developing multimodality foundation models and work or internship experience in an AI research organization are listed as a plus.
- A strong publication record in top conferences or journals such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, or CVPR.
- Work on research advancing technology in large language model or multimodality generative model architectures.
- Research, implement, and evaluate novel machine learning algorithms on generative models.
- Collaborate with applied machine learning teams and infrastructure teams to ship new generative models into ad production.
Responsibilities
We are the Generative AI team under Monetization Technology. Our team focuses on developing cutting-edge Generative AI techs across all modalities, including text, image, videos, landing pages, etc., and creates industry-leading technical solutions to improve creative efficiency for advertisers, agencies and creators. We are committed to automated creative workflows by leveraging Generative AI technologies, to increase overall revenue for advertisers, agencies and creators. We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship in 2026. Internships at TikTok aim to offer students industry exposure and hands-on experience. Turn your ambitions into reality as your inspiration brings infinite opportunities at TikTok. PhD internships at TikTok provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to our products and research, and to the organization's future plans and emerging technologies. Our dynamic internship experience blends hands-on learning, enriching community-building and development events, and collaboration with industry experts. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early. Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date). Responsibilities 1. Work on research in advancing technology in large language model or multimodality generative model architectures; 2. Research, implement and evaluate novel machine learning algorithms on generative models; 3. Collaborate with applied machine learning teams and infrastructure teams to ship new generative models into ad production.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications: - Currently pursuing a PhD in computer science, machine learning, or similar fields. - Hands-on experience of developing multimodality foundation models and work or internship experience in an AI research organization is a plus. - Strong publications record in top conferences or journals (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR, etc) By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy, which may be accessed here: https://careers.tiktok.com/legal/privacy
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern
The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $60- $60.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more. Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year). Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
About TikTok
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and we also have offices in New York City, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy - a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
TikTok Accommodation
TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/RA-request
About the company
TikTok is a short-form mobile video platform that allows users to create, discover, and share vertical videos. The app uses an algorithmic feed to surface content personalized to each user, while advertisers can run in-feed ads, branded hashtags, and sponsored challenges, with a Business Center to plan and measure campaigns. The platform differs from competitors through a large global creator community, integrated marketing tools, and rapid trend cycles that drive high engagement. Its goal is to inspire creativity and bring joy by helping people express themselves and giving brands a direct way to reach a broad audience.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$740K
Headquarters
Santa Monica, California
Founded
2016
Get referred to TikTok
See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- TikTok Shop generated about $15.8 billion in U.S. sales in 2025.
- October 2026 AI shopping tools and one-click checkout deepen in-app monetization.
- TikTok One Pay's sub-30-day creator payouts strengthen brand and creator supply.
What critics are saying
- August 2026 layoffs cut 325 U.S. roles, weakening moderation and commerce execution.
- The U.S. joint venture still faces national-security scrutiny over algorithm licensing and control.
- A future U.S. divestiture deadline or ban would break TikTok's American growth engine.
What makes TikTok unique
- ByteDance's recommendation engine still drives unmatched discovery and creator reach globally.
- TikTok Shop, One Pay, and Ad Network fuse content, commerce, and advertising.
- Local partnerships with IMDA, Roar AdX, and Converge embed TikTok into markets.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- 401(k) Company Match
- Paid Holidays
- Paid Sick Leave
- Paid Vacation
- Parental Leave
- Wellness Program
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
20%1 year growth
20%2 year growth
20%Australia plans to sue Meta and TikTok over failures in age controls on their platforms. Australian legislation requires platforms to prevent under-16s from having social media accounts. The regulator is investigating five companies and preparing evidence to take them to court. By Angus Whitley October 20, 2026 | 02:40 AM Bloomberg - The Australian government plans to sue Facebook, TikTok and other major digital platforms over alleged non-compliance with a national ban on social media use for under-16s, communications minister Anika Wells said in an interview. The country's online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, said in March that it was investigating Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta Platforms Inc. (META), as well as TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, for possible breaches of the law. The legislation requires companies to take reasonable measures to prevent underage users from having social media accounts, as part of an initiative to protect them from harmful content on the internet. Asked on Monday in an interview in Sydney whether legal action against the five platforms could be expected, Wells replied: "Yes." She added: "It is not a decision for me, but I would expect it." An eSafety report published in July found that most underage social media users were able to keep their accounts or create new ones, largely due to the lack of effective age controls on the platforms. Since Australia's ban, the world's first, came into force almost a year ago, the government has doubled the maximum penalty for non-compliance to A$109.2 million (US$76 million). The government has also given eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant greater investigative powers, including the power to require documents from social media platforms and to summon current or former employees to answer its questions. "It now has more powers to gather the evidence it needs to take those five companies to the Federal Court," Wells said. "It is currently using those powers to prepare its case." Spokespeople for Meta and eSafety did not immediately comment. Representatives for Snap Inc. (SNAP), owner of Snapchat; TikTok and its owner, ByteDance Ltd.; and Google, YouTube's parent company, did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment on the minister's statements. The eSafety Commissioner is an independent regulator, although it is part of the government and is accountable to the Australian Parliament through the communications minister, a role currently held by Wells. Last week, Wells said companies are not doing enough to comply with age restrictions on social media. "The law is not failing; it is the platforms that are not complying," Wells said in an October 15 speech to the National Press Club. "We will not hesitate to hold technology companies accountable." Read more at Bloomberg.com
Shoplazza collaborates with TikTok to bring product discovery closer to purchase. The collaboration supports TikTok's new agentic commerce experiences, with a focus on helping merchants turn customer interest into sales. Shoplazza, an AI-native commerce operating system, recently announced it is working with TikTok to support new agentic commerce shopping experiences. The collaboration reflects a shared focus on shortening the path from product discovery to purchase and helping merchants make more of the demand their content and advertising generate. TikTok introduced Buy Direct and Shopping Assistant on October 5, naming Shoplazza among its commerce and payment partners. Buy Direct lets consumers buy directly from brands within TikTok, without being redirected to an external storefront. It uses Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) to connect with merchant systems, while brands remain the Merchant of Record. Shopping Assistant answers product questions using merchant-supplied information on product pages within TikTok's in-app browser. Shoppers can get the details they need before proceeding to checkout on the merchant's website within the same browser. For merchants, a shorter purchase journey can help protect the value of their customer acquisition spending. Redirects and repeated forms add friction just as a shopper is ready to buy. Losing that purchase means losing potential revenue after already paying to attract the customer. "As platforms automate more decisions, performance increasingly depends on how well data, creative and checkout work together," said Chao Xu, Director at Shoplazza. "TikTok's new shopping experiences make it easier to buy while interest is fresh, helping merchants turn that interest into revenue and use each transaction to inform smarter marketing decisions." Shoplazza sees these developments as part of a broader convergence between advertising platforms and commerce infrastructure. From transaction data sharing and Instant Pages to Buy Direct, the opportunity is to help algorithms understand completed purchases more accurately while making it easier for shoppers to follow through. The collaboration builds on an established relationship. Shoplazza's merchant admin already supports catalog syncing, TikTok Pixel and Events API setup. In May, it was the sole winner of the TikTok Partner Innovation Award for Innovation in Marketing Technology - Commerce. In July, it joined the first group of TikTok for Business Agentic Hub partners, introducing AI Skills that connect store data and business insights with TikTok's advertising intelligence.
Shoplazza, an AI-native commerce operating system, is working with TikTok to support its new agentic commerce shopping tools. The aim is to shorten the path from product discovery to purchase. TikTok introduced Buy Direct and Shopping Assistant on October 5, naming Shoplazza as a commerce and payment partner. Buy Direct lets users buy from brands inside TikTok without being sent to an external storefront. Brands remain the Merchant of Record. Shopping Assistant answers product questions using merchant-supplied information, before shoppers check out on the merchant's site in the same browser. "TikTok's new shopping experiences make it easier to buy while interest is fresh," said Chao Xu, director at Shoplazza. The partners already work together. In July, Shoplazza joined TikTok for Business's first Agentic Hub partner group.
Peller to table banned Nigerian accounts during claimed TikTok UK visit. October 17, 2026 Nigerian content creator and streamer Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, has said TikTok invited him to visit its office in the United Kingdom next week. Peller disclosed this during a livestream while thanking his followers for helping him gain recognition on the platform. He said he planned to use the visit to raise issues affecting African users, including how TikTok operates on the continent and accounts that have been banned. He said, "Guys, God bless you all so much. You've made TikTok recognise me, and TikTok has invited me to its office in the UK next week. You've taken me to another level. I love you all so much. This is huge! I haven't even gained that many followers yet; I'm just getting started. Don't worry, when I get there, I'll tell them everything about Africa, how TikTok operates in Africa, and all the banned accounts. I have a lot to tell them." Peller, who has more than 17 million followers on TikTok, has built a large audience through livestreams and entertainment content. The 21-year-old creator previously revealed that he bought his TikTok account for N100,000 when it had about 30,000 followers. He said he later grew the account to more than 17 million followers through his content and livestreams. Peller has also attracted attention beyond his online career this year. He married fellow content creator Jarvis, whose real name is Amadou Aminata, in a white wedding ceremony in Lagos in August. Discover Events He has remained active on TikTok, where his livestreams and collaborations with other personalities have continued to attract large audiences. While Peller said TikTok invited him to its UK office, the platform has not publicly confirmed the invitation or disclosed details about the planned visit. TikTok has continued to expand its operations in the United Kingdom, with the company announcing plans to increase its workforce in the country. Discover more News Article Subscription
Music industry hires: Revolution Records, Pipeline and Hybe. Revolution Records, Pipeline and Hybe have appointed new leaders, while Universal Music Group has begun another round of layoffs in the US and UK. October 16, 2026 Revolution Records and Pipeline have appointed new leaders as music companies announce changes across label management, distribution and artist services. The appointments coincide with another round of US and UK layoffs at Universal Music Group (UMG) under its long-planned cost-cutting initiative. Revolution Records and Pipeline appoint leaders. Revolution Music Group has appointed Allen Wollard president of its newly created Revolution Records division. Wollard previously headed Sunshine Entertainment Associates. Ben Katovsky, formerly chief executive officer (CEO) of Recognition Music, has become CEO of Matt Spetzler's Pipeline. Angry Mob's AM2 creative sync division has hired former SILO: Music executive Liddy Clark as manager of creative sync, trailers. Universal cuts roles across the US and UK. Executives leaving UMG include: * Jim Roppo, CEO of Republic Records. * Tunji Balogun, CEO of Def Jam. * Ben Mortimer, president of Polydor Label Group. * Sam Riback, Interscope co-president and head of pop and rock artists and repertoire (A&R). Some departing executives are moving into consulting positions. Roppo has joined Warner Records Group as vice chairman. The cuts reportedly also affect at least eight people at MCA: * Robert Femia, chief operating officer (COO) and executive vice president (EVP) of business and legal affairs. * Miranda McDonald, senior vice president (SVP) of promotion, who was promoted in March. * Taylor Viegut, vice president (VP) of e-commerce. * Regional promotion executives John Trapane, Donna Passuntino, Ashley Knight and Shannon Hogan. * Houston Gaither, director of radio marketing. Rebecca Allen, Universal Music UK's chief artist and strategy officer, has also left after nearly 30 years with the company. Believe, Pophouse and Hybe expand leadership teams. Believe has promoted Viktoria Siniavskaia to president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). She has worked at the company for 15 years. Pophouse has appointed Nikos Antoniou senior vice president of artist brand and audience growth. Antoniou previously led music streaming and commercial partnerships for EMEA at TikTok. Hybe has promoted Juan Arenas, previously chief operating officer of Hybe Latin America, to president of its Global Label Services division. The division has also appointed: * Nicole Csabai, a former Interscope revenue executive, as senior vice president of global distribution. * Melissa Victor, formerly Sony Music's senior vice president of publicity, as executive vice president of global artist services. Mohnish Sani, managing partner at SuMoSan Ventures, is now officially head of strategy and growth at Hybe Americas. In the role, Sani intends to "accelerate long-term growth and build new creative and commercial opportunities across the region." Goldman sachs raises music forecast, flags AI risks for labels. October 16, 2026