HCI Intern (AI Ethics Team)

Sony AI America, a branch of Sony AI, is a remotely distributed organization spread across the U.S. and Canada. Sony AI is Sony’s new research organization pursuing the mission to use AI to unleash human creativity. Sony AI works closely with Sony’s other business units, including Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC., Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., and Sony Music Entertainment. With some 900 million Sony devices in hands and homes worldwide today, a vast array of Sony movies, television shows and music, and the PlayStation Network, Sony creates and delivers more entertainment experiences to more people than anyone else on earth. To learn more: https://ai.sony/

About Sony Research Ethics Team
Sony Research is dedicated to driving innovation, advancing technology and ensuring that AI is developed responsibly, ethically, and inclusively. The AI Ethics Team focuses on creating frameworks, tools, and methodologies that promote trust, transparency, fairness, and accountability in AI tools and technologies. See more details on the AI Ethics Team at Sony AI here: https://ai.sony/projects/ai-ethics/ 

Position Summary
We are seeking a motivated and passionate Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Intern to join the AI Ethics Team. As an intern, you will contribute to cutting-edge projects aimed at addressing ethical challenges in AI. This internship will provide you with hands-on experience in exploring ethical dimensions in AI research, offering a unique opportunity to work alongside researchers and engineers in a globally diverse and interdisciplinary team.

This position is a fully remote opportunity.

Application Requirements

• An up-to-date resume that includes your name, email address, and website URL.

• A short (2 pages maximum) cover letter that briefly describes your current research and how it connects to AI ethics initiatives, the methods you are most familiar with, and what you hope to learn from an internship with the AI Ethics Team. 

• Upload 1-3 writing samples that best demonstrate your expertise in AI ethics, HCI, and/or qualitative research methods in the Resume/CV upload section of the application. 

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will depend on the project you are assigned to, and will include a combination of the following:

• Execute fundamental and innovative research in AI ethics, including but not limited to ethical data collection, improving AI ethics practices, and the societal impacts of AI.

• Conduct interviews and analyze documentation on AI ethics related topics.

• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of researchers, engineers, and policy experts to evaluate ethical challenges in AI. 

• Communicate research activities and findings to interdisciplinary collaborators.

• Publish influential research outcomes in top-tier conferences and journals.

• Present research findings internally to the Sony AI team and externally at academic venues. 

• Honesty, trustworthiness and ethical conduct are material requirements for the responsibilities outlined above 

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a research-centered Master’s or PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Information Science, Computer Science, or a related field.

• Expertise in qualitative research methods, especially semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and ethnography. 

• Strong interest in AI ethics and responsible AI development.

• Familiarity with ethical principles and frameworks in AI (e.g., fairness, accountability, transparency) 

• Basic understanding of AI and machine learning concepts (computer vision or foundation models is a plus).

• Be self-motivated and capable of proposing and implementing innovative ideas.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

• Preferred: Experience publishing papers at HCI and AI Ethics conferences/journals (e.g., CHI, CSCW, FAccT)

Apply now and make an impact with the Sony AI Ethics Team!

The target hourly rate for this internship is $50.00 per hour. The individual will be paid hourly and eligible for overtime.   

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Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex (including pregnancy), gender, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, military status, status as a veteran or disabled veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or family status, genetic information, medical condition, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation.

Disability Accommodation for Applicants to Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America provides reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in job application procedures. For reasonable accommodation requests, please contact us by email at careers@sonyusa.com or by mail to: Sony Corporation of America, Human Resources Department, 25 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Please indicate the position you are applying for.