Research Intern - AI Security

Research Internships at Microsoft provide a dynamic environment for research careers with a network of world-class research labs led by globally-recognized scientists and engineers, who pursue innovation in a range of scientific and technical disciplines to help solve complex challenges in diverse fields, including computing, healthcare, economics, and the environment.

Security represents the most critical priority for our customers in a world awash in digital threats, regulatory scrutiny, and estate complexity. Microsoft Security aspires to make the world a safer place for all. We want to reshape security and empower every user, customer, and developer with a security cloud that protects them with end to end, streamlined solutions. The Microsoft Security organization accelerates Microsoft’s mission and bold ambitions to ensure that our company and industry is securing digital technology platforms, devices, and clouds in our customers’ heterogeneous environments, as well as ensuring the security of our own internal estate. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world. 

Do you have research experience in AI Security or Safety? Do you want to find failures in Microsoft’s big bet AI systems impacting millions of users? Do you want to intern with a team dedicated to securing (a rising number of) agentic AI systems by finding and fixing their vulnerabilities? This exciting opportunity to join the Applied Research arm of Microsoft Security AI Research (MSECAIR) and work alongside security experts and researchers to push the boundaries of AI Red Teaming on agentic AI systems. This Research Internship will be a collaboration between Microsoft’s AI Red Team, Microsoft Research and Azure Research. 

We are looking for an early-career Research Intern with experience in systems security, AI safety, AI security, or AI red-teaming to help make Microsoft's AI products safer and help our customers expand with our AI systems. We are an interdisciplinary group of red teamers, AI security researchers, Responsible AI experts, and software developers with the mission of proactively finding failures in AI systems. Your work has the potential to impact the safety and security of agentic systems across Microsoft’s AI portfolio. More about our approach to AI Red Teaming: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/08/07/microsoft-ai-red-team-building-future-of-safer-ai/. 

Responsibilities

Research Interns put inquiry and theory into practice. Alongside fellow doctoral candidates and some of the world’s best researchers, Research Interns learn, collaborate, and network for life. Research Interns not only advance their own careers, but they also contribute to exciting research and development strides. During the 12-week internship, Research Interns are paired with mentors and expected to collaborate with other Research Interns and researchers, present findings, and contribute to the vibrant life of the community. Research internships are available in all areas of research, and are offered year-round, though they typically begin in the summer.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Accepted or currently enrolled in a PhD program in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical or Computer Engineering, or a related STEM field OR skilled master's or bachelor's student in these fields with a demonstrable serious interest in research. 
• 1+ year of experience in AI safety, AI Security, AI red-teaming, or related fields. 
• 1+ year of experience in conducting research, writing peer-reviewed publications, and software development.  

Other Requirements

• Research Interns are expected to be physically located in their manager’s Microsoft worksite location for the duration of their internship.
• In addition to the qualifications below, you’ll need to submit a minimum of two reference letters for this position as well as a cover letter and any relevant work or research samples. After you submit your application, a request for letters may be sent to your list of references on your behalf. Note that reference letters cannot be requested until after you have submitted your application, and furthermore, that they might not be automatically requested for all candidates. You may wish to alert your letter writers in advance, so they will be ready to submit your letter. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to expose vulnerabilities in agentic AI systems, particularly indirect/cross-prompt injection attacks. 
• Experience building agentic AI systems using frameworks such as AutoGen, Semantic Kernel, or LangChain. 

Applied Sciences IC2 : The base pay range for this internship is USD $5,460 -$10,680 per month.

There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, with the San Francisco Bay area and New York City Metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $7,040 -$11,640 per month.

Applied Sciences IC3 : The base pay range for this internship is USD $6,550 -$12,880 per month.

There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $8,480 - $13, 920 per month

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-intern-pay 

Microsoft accepts applications and processes offers for these roles on an ongoing basis.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.