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Machine Learning Engineer Intern (Monetization Technology - Ads Creative AI) - 2026 Summer (BS/MS)

TikTok
San Jose, CA
Responsibilities

A "creative" is the ad (in the form of a short-form video) served to TikTok users, composed of video, background music, call-to-action card, post-click landing page, and other formats that get delivered to users. A quote goes "creativity is the soul of advertising", because a good ad creative is effective, yet difficult to produce, especially at the scale of TikTok advertising.

The TikTok Ads Creative & Ecosystem team's mission is to solve the above dilemma, by building industry-leading tech solutions for ads creative/landing page understanding, production/generation, and optimization, to inspire and empower advertisers, creators, and other 3rd parties in the ecosystem to create and deliver the best engaging creative experiences to the end users. Our work is at the core of TikTok and creator monetization. Examples of our team's work include TikTok video editor, AI-powered smart video generation (we are also exploring AIGC), and TikTok creative exchange (a creative marketplace to connect TikTok advertisers with creators or third-party creative agencies).

We are user/product oriented and dedicated to technical excellence. We aim to drive and lead the technology renovation in the ads tech and creative industry, powering products and driving values for our clients, creators, and the whole ecosystem. We are excited to grow advertisers' and users' business understanding, build highly scalable and reliable software/infrastructure, partner across functions with global teams, and make big impacts. If you are someone who welcomes challenges, we are eager to have you on the team!

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. Watch your ambitions become reality as your inspiration brings infinite opportunities at TikTok.

Internships at TikTok aim to provide students with hands-on experience in developing fundamental skills and exploring potential career paths. A vibrant blend of social events and enriching development workshops will be available for you to explore. Here, you will utilize your knowledge in real-world scenarios while laying a strong foundation for personal and professional growth. It runs for 12 weeks.

Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. The application limit is applicable to TikTok and its affiliates' jobs globally. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as early as possible. Please state your availability clearly in your resume (Start date, End date).

Summer Start Dates:

  • May 11th, 2026
  • May 18th, 2026
  • May 26th, 2026
  • June 8th, 2026
  • June 22nd, 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early.

Successful candidates must be able to commit to at least 3 months long internship period.

Responsibilities:

  • AI Image Generation and Editing Support: Assist in understanding advertising creative requirements and market trends, contributing to the development and optimization of image generation and editing functionalities using AIGC technologies and LLMs to enhance ad performance and creative quality.
  • Must be able to commit to a 12-week full-time work period during Summer or Fall 2026.
  • Model Training Assistance: Support the training and fine-tuning processes for image generation models, including post-training optimization and reinforcement learning, helping ensure high-quality and business-relevant model outputs.
  • Data Management and Preprocessing: Assist in the preparation of data for model training by supporting workflows such as data collection, cleaning, validation, and preprocessing, ensuring the accuracy and quality of training datasets.
  • Technology Research Support: Stay informed about the latest advancements in multimodal and generative AI technologies, providing research assistance and supporting the integration of new technologies to improve product capabilities.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Final year student or recent graduate with a background in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Electronic Information Engineering, or a related field, with a strong understanding of advertising and creative technologies.
  • Must be able to commit to a 12-week full-time work period during Summer or Fall 2026
  • Experience or coursework in AI/ML model development, particularly in computer vision and image generation.
  • Passion for AI and content creation, with the ability to design AI solutions aligned with business objectives.
  • Familiarity with deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and generative models (e.g., Diffusion Models, GANs, VAEs).

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Hands-on experience in model development and AI project deployment, with exposure to multimodal classification, retrieval, content matching, or video captioning.
  • Strong skills in creating high-quality content using LLM/MLLM/AIGC technologies.
  • Knowledge of the latest trends in AI subfields such as audio, image, video, and natural language processing, with preference for candidates who have top-tier publications in relevant AI areas.
  • Familiarity with reinforcement learning and post-training optimization techniques.

By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy, which may be accessed here:

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern

The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $45- $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:

  • Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
  • Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
  • 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
Posted 2026-03-03

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