W

Waymo

Builds self-driving AI and runs a robotaxi service

Research Intern - Multimodal Foundation Models

Summer 2027Posted on 10/22/2026
$85/hr
Internship
PhD
Mountain View, CA, USA
HybridHybrid onsite internship; office/home schedule is not specified.
AI & Machine LearningAI Research
Company Historically Provides H1B Sponsorship

About the job

Requirements
  • Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Machine Learning, or a related quantitative field.
  • Have in-depth knowledge of state-of-the-art foundation models.
  • Have experience with data pipelines at scale.
  • Have a strong foundation in machine learning, deep learning, and statistical modeling and optimization.
  • Be proficient in Python and modern deep learning frameworks, such as JAX or PyTorch, for training and evaluating large-scale neural networks.
Responsibilities
  • Run data mixture ablations and fit scaling laws.
  • Research efficient data curricula for various foundation modeling tasks.
  • Research the contribution and efficiency of different modalities in a multimodal foundation model.
  • Explore and apply training data attribution and data valuation methods to quantify dataset utility and guide data curation for foundation models.
Desired Qualifications
  • Have experience with Grain.
  • Have research or practical experience with neural scaling laws, data mixture optimization, curriculum learning, or training data attribution.

About the company

W

Waymo

View
cbWebsite

Waymo builds self-driving technology and uses it to run a ride-hailing service in which passengers summon electric cars with no one behind the wheel. In 2020, it became the first company to open fully driverless rides to the public, starting in metro Phoenix. Its system, the Waymo Driver, pairs cameras, radar and laser sensors called lidar with onboard computers whose AI predicts what nearby people and vehicles will do and drives the car. Riders pay per trip through the Waymo app, or through Uber in some cities, while Waymo and fleet partners keep the cars charged and maintained. Waymo began as a Google project in 2009 and became a separate Alphabet company in 2016; it is based in Mountain View, California.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$32.1B

Headquarters

Mountain View, California

Founded

2009

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Riders are flocking to it: Waymo more than tripled its yearly rides to 15 million in 2025.
  • A deep-pocketed owner backs it: Alphabet holds a majority and funded most of Waymo's $16 billion round in February 2026.
  • Room to grow: Waymo added 10 US cities from January to September 2026 and listed 371 open roles in October.

What critics are saying

  • Growth has slowed: weekly rides held near 500,000 from March to September 2026, half Waymo's year-end goal.
  • Its newest robotaxi is Chinese-made: Zeekr builds it, and a Senate panel backed banning such vehicles in July 2026.
  • Less upside for new hires: Waymo's valuation hit $126 billion in February 2026, nearly triple its late-2024 level.

What makes Waymo unique

  • Insurer-funded researchers back its safety record: IIHS found Waymos had 81% fewer injury crashes per mile than human drivers.
  • It taps Google's AI lab: Waymo's simulator, unveiled February 2026, builds on DeepMind's Genie 3, which generates realistic 3D worlds.
  • It designs its own hardware: custom computer chips and laser lidar sensors, with core lidar parts built in California.

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Benefits

  • 401(k) Company Match
  • Performance Bonus
  • Company Equity
  • Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

1%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
Gizmodo
Oct 20th, 2026
Waymo reportedly plans to put 20,000 robotaxis on the road by the end of 2027.

Waymo reportedly plans to put 20,000 robotaxis on the road by the end of 2027. The company reportedly plans to double its current fleet by the end of this year alone. By Bruce Gil Published October 20, 2026, 11:45 am ET Reading time 2 minutes Get ready to see a lot more driverless Waymos on the road. Semafor is reporting that Waymo plans to use some of its newly secured funding to rapidly expand its robotaxi fleet over the next 14 months, citing people familiar with the matter. The Alphabet-owned company reportedly wants to grow its fleet fivefold, from roughly 4,000 vehicles today to 20,000 by the end of 2027. By the end of this year alone, Waymo aims to have 8,000 vehicles, doubling its fleet in less than three months. The news comes less than two weeks after Waymo announced that it had secured a $5 billion loan, marking its first debt financing and what the company called an "important step in our evolution into a scaling commercial enterprise." Waymo also raised $16 billion from investors earlier this year. The company said the new financing would help accelerate the expansion of its driverless ride-hailing service across the United States and around the globe. Waymo currently operates in 15 U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Just last week, the company opened its service to everyone in San Antonio, San Diego, and Tampa. Waymo has announced plans to expand to London and Tokyo, and on Tuesday, it revealed that it's also headed to Madrid, where it hopes to begin offering rides in 2027. A major part of Waymo's expansion plans involves importing thousands of Chinese-made electric vehicles. The New York Post reported Monday, citing data from research firm MoffettNathanson, that Waymo is on pace to import roughly 5,100 Ojai vehicles by the end of this year. The Ojai is Waymo's next-generation robotaxi, built on an electric vehicle supplied by Zeekr, a Chinese automaker owned by Geely. It runs on Waymo's sixth-generation autonomous driving system, which the company says uses fewer, less expensive components and is designed to handle a wider range of driving conditions. The new vehicles mark a major shift for Waymo, whose fleet has largely consisted of Jaguar I-Pace EVs running on its fifth-generation self-driving system. Jaguar discontinued the I-Pace in 2024, and Waymo received its final delivery of the vehicles last year. But importing Chinese EVs into the U.S. is not simple task. Steep tariffs and national security restrictions have largely kept Chinese-made vehicles out of the American market. Chinese EVs face a 100% tariff on top of other import duties, while the Commerce Department has placed restrictions on Chinese and Russian-connected car tech. Waymo has found a way to navigate those restrictions. The company imports versions of the Zeekr vehicles without the Chinese-made autonomous driving systems or connected software covered by the rules. It then installs its own U.S.-developed self-driving technology at a facility in Mesa, Arizona. And despite the steep tariffs and growing scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers, the numbers appear to be working for Waymo to keep importing them. Waymo did not immediately respond to Gizmodo's request for comment.

Semafor
Oct 19th, 2026
Waymo to quintuple fleet to 20,000 cars by 2026 using $5B in new debt

Waymo plans to grow its fleet fivefold, using the $5 billion it recently borrowed, according to people familiar with the matter. The company has 4,000 cars. It aims to reach 8,000 by the end of this year and 20,000 by the end of next year. Waymo said in a statement on its website that it raised the funds to expand in the US and abroad. It operates in 15 US cities and is bringing rides to Toronto, San Diego, Tampa, and San Antonio. In Nashville, it opened a facility with Lyft to charge, clean, and maintain cars. The New York Post reported that Waymo has ordered thousands of cars from China. It has also rebranded versions of a vehicle made by Zeekr, a unit of Geely Holding Group.

MoCoShow
Oct 18th, 2026
D.C. Mayoral nominee says District should not rush Waymo legislation.

D.C. Mayoral nominee says District should not rush Waymo legislation. Published October 18, 2026 at 5:00AM D.C. Councilmember and Democratic mayoral nominee Janeese Lewis George is urging the District to slow down efforts to legalize fully autonomous vehicles, citing concerns about potential job displacement and worker protections as Waymo prepares to bring its driverless ride-hailing service to Washington, D.C. A video of the Waymo experience can be seen below. Lewis George, who represents Ward 4 on the D.C. Council, shared her concerns on social media following Waymo's official debut in the District. "DC is facing a jobs crisis," Lewis George wrote. "Rushing the legalization of autonomous vehicles is irresponsible given the anticipated AI-related job displacement and disruptions that put countless workers at risk." Lewis George said the District should be able to embrace emerging technology while also protecting workers and focusing on public safety. "DC must be a leader in welcoming new technology while supporting workers and prioritizing safety," she wrote. "Let's get this right and not rush Waymo legislation this year." Waymo announced in March 2025 that its fully autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, was coming to Washington, D.C. The company said at the time that it would work with local communities, emergency responders, and policymakers as it prepared for operations in the District. Waymo One uses fully autonomous vehicles without a human driver and was already operating in cities including San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin when the D.C. expansion was announced. More recently, the Washington Business Journal reported that Waymo committed "tens of millions" of dollars toward three automotive depots in the District and was targeting an early 2027 rollout of driverless vehicles. Lewis George's comments put the future of autonomous vehicle legislation among the technology and workforce issues likely to receive increased attention as Waymo moves closer to launching fully driverless service in the nation's capital.

WiFi HiFi
Oct 16th, 2026
Waymo is coming to Toronto, its first canadian city.

Waymo is coming to Toronto, its first canadian city. Want to be driven around by...no one? Waymo, the popular autonomous ride-hailing service, has plans to launch in Toronto. Don't get excited yet, though, as you won't be able to ride until 2028. The company says it's laying the groundwork to launch the service in Toronto, and the vehicles will start riding the streets in the coming days, though passengers won't be accepted for another few years. For now, Waymo will be working on its high-definition mapping of local street networks and testing with trained autonomous specialists behind the wheel. The validation period, says Waymo, will help ensure the Waymo Driver adapts to Toronto's "distinct driving conditions." As anyone who lives in the city knows, this means constant heavy traffic. Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana says the expansion into Canada marks "an important milestone in Waymo's global journey. Toronto is one of the world's great cities," he adds. To serve Toronto, Waymo is partnering with Element Fleet Management, a Toronto-headquartered intelligent fleet and mobility solutions company that will provide end-to-end fleet management services. Waymo is also also collaborating with leading accessibility and mobility advocacy organizations, including BALANCE for Blind Adults, CNIB, Community Living Toronto, Connected Canadians, and Epilepsy Ontario, among others.

Channel NewsAsia
Oct 16th, 2026
Alphabet's Waymo plans first Canada robotaxi service in Toronto in 2028.

Alphabet's Waymo plans first Canada robotaxi service in Toronto in 2028. 16 Oct 2026 06:54PM (Updated: 16 Oct 2026 07:52PM) Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. (Corrects headline and first paragraph to say Waymo is owned by Alphabet, not Google) Oct 16: Alphabet's Waymo said on Friday it plans to bring its autonomous ride-hailing service to Toronto in 2028, marking the self-driving company's first planned deployment in Canada and its latest move to expand beyond the US. Here are some details: - Waymo, which operates commercial robotaxi services in several US cities, said it would partner with Element Fleet Management for fleet operations in Toronto as it expands to markets including London and Tokyo - The company said it will begin groundwork in Canada's largest city, including mapping and engagement with local authorities, as it prepares for a future deployment of the Waymo Driver. - Waymo also plans to create hundreds of jobs over time in fleet maintenance, validation driving, customer service and other operations functions