AI Perception Intern (PICO) - 2027 Start (PhD) PhD Intern - 2027 Start San Jose

Bytedance; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 35,000; Part time

Job summary

ByteDance in San Jose is offering an internship in the Technology team to contribute to the perception pipeline for low-power camera/sensing systems on wearable devices.

You will work on data, models, deployment, and testing, with hands-on learning and collaboration with engineers and researchers.

Applicants should be PhD students or exceptional undergraduates with strong programming skills in Python and C/C++, and experience in computer vision or edge compute.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a PhD (or exceptional undergraduate) in EE, ECE, CS, Physics, or related field.
• Strong Python and/or C/C++ programming; PyTorch or equivalent experience.
• Experience in computer vision/ML or edge systems with cameras or visual perception.
• Able to execute scoped project with guidance in a fast-paced team.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to power- and compute-efficient machine vision perception pipelines: data preparation, model training, quantization/optimization, and edge deployment.
• Help build and run test platforms and benchmarks for camera/perception performance.
• Support camera/sensor experiments: ISP-to-perception data flows, capture, calibration, and evaluation.
• Prototype and iterate on scoped components with guidance.

Skills

Python

C/C++

PyTorch

Communication

Education

PhD (or exceptional undergraduate)

Job description

Join us as we work together to inspire creativity and enrich life around the globe.

Location

San Jose

Team

Technology

Employment Type

Intern

Job Code

A223431A

Responsibilities

About TeamWe build cameras for AI perception, not for human eyes. This internship contributes to the perception pipeline — data, models, deployment, and test — for low-power camera/sensing systems on wearable devices, working alongside a engineer/researcher.We are looking for talented individuals to join us for an internship. PhD internships at Our Company provide students with the opportunity to actively contribute to our products and research, as well as to the organization's future plans and emerging technologies.Our dynamic internship experience blends hands‑on learning, enriching community-building and professional development events, and collaboration with industry experts.Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Please clearly state your availability in your resume (Start date, End date).

• Contribute to power- and compute-efficient machine vision perception pipelines: data preparation, model training, quantization/optimization, and edge deployment.
• Help build and run test platforms and benchmarks for camera/perception performance (latency, power, accuracy).
• Support camera/sensor experiments: ISP-to-perception data flows, capture, calibration, and evaluation.
• Prototype and iterate on scoped components with guidance.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in a PhD (or exceptional undergraduate) in EE, ECE, CS, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• Solid programming in Python and/or C/C++; PyTorch or equivalent.
• Hands‑on experience in at least one of: computer vision / ML, embedded/edge systems, or camera/image‑sensor/imaging pipelines — with genuine exposure to cameras, images, or visual perception (adjacent‑only modalities such as MRI/ultrasound/biosignals do not count).
• Able to execute a scoped project with guidance in a fast‑paced, multidisciplinary team; good communication.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Efficient/edge model deployment: quantization, pruning, ONNX/TensorRT, NPU/DSP.
• Image/video CV, 3D vision, or event/depth sensing experience.
• Embedded/hardware exposure: sensor bring‑up, FPGA, PCB, or camera‑pipeline work.
• Comfort leveraging modern ML tools (VLM/LLM) in the workflow.

Job Information

About Pico

Founded in April 2015, Pico is a VR company committed to developing immersive and interactive VR experiences for people around the world. Pico also provides tailor‑made solutions for our enterprise clients in the fields of education and healthcare.

Why Join ByteDance

Inspiring creativity is at the core of ByteDance's mission. Our innovative products are 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 enrich life - a mission we work towards every day.

As ByteDancers, 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. 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

ByteDance 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 ByteDance, our mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. 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.

Reasonable Accommodation

ByteDance 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