ML / AI Engineer Intern

Overview

About the job

At SignSetu, we are dedicated to transforming Deaf education through our innovative learning platform. Our mission is to empower Deaf learners and promote their educational growth.
Joining SignSetu means more than building models, it means designing intelligence that makes learning more accessible and inclusive. You’ll work on real-world AI systems that directly impact classrooms—powering captioning, sign-language understanding, and personalized learning experiences for Deaf students across India.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse team at SignSetu. We believe that talent and skills come in various forms, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and categories as long as they possess the passion and dedication required for the position.

What You’ll Do

• Build, fine-tune, and deploy ML/AI models for real-world educational use cases.
• Work on speech-to-text, caption generation, and sign-language understanding pipelines.
• Design and optimize data pipelines for training and inference (collection, cleaning, labeling, augmentation).
• Experiment with LLMs and multimodal models (text, video, audio) for accessibility features.
• Optimize models for low-latency, cost-efficient inference (edge/mobile-friendly where needed).
• Evaluate model performance using appropriate metrics and continuously improve accuracy and robustness.
• Collaborate with backend/frontend teams to integrate AI features into production systems.
• Run A/B tests and analyze real-world usage to improve model outcomes.
• Debug production issues in AI pipelines and improve reliability.

Technical Must-Haves

• Strong fundamentals in Python and ML frameworks (PyTorch / TensorFlow).
• Hands-on experience with at least one: NLP (LLMs, transformers, embeddings), Computer Vision (image/video models), Speech (ASR, audio processing)
• Understanding of model training, evaluation, and overfitting/generalization.
• Experience with data handling (NumPy, Pandas, basic preprocessing pipelines).
• Familiarity with APIs and deploying models (FastAPI, Flask, or similar).
• Working knowledge of Git/GitHub and experimentation workflows.

Soft-Skill Superpowers

• Empathetic communication — translate complex AI concepts into meaningful product improvements.
• Curiosity-driven mindset — experiment, iterate, and question assumptions.
• Problem-solving mindset — treat model failures as signals, not setbacks.
• Time management & deadline discipline — balance experimentation with shipping.
• Adaptability — work with evolving datasets and ambiguous problem spaces.
• Work ethic & grit — push models from prototype to production under constraints.
• Self-awareness & humility — validate ideas with data, not ego.
• Collaboration — work closely with product, engineering, and operations teams.
• Emotional intelligence — stay composed during model failures and production issues.

Nice-to-Have Extras

• Experience with LLM tooling (Hugging Face, LangChain, DSPy, etc.).
• Exposure to multimodal models (vision-language, video understanding).
• Experience with model optimization (quantization, pruning, distillation).
• Familiarity with vector databases and embeddings.
• MLOps exposure (Docker, CI/CD, experiment tracking tools).
• Prior work on accessibility tech, captioning, or sign-language-related projects.
• Live projects (GitHub links encouraged).

What Makes the Culture Cool

• We believe work should energize, not exhaust. At SignSetu you won’t be judged by how long you sit in front of a screen but by the impact your model makes in Deaf classrooms.
• Impact > Experiments: Ship models that actually improve learning outcomes.
• Zero micromanagement: You’ll have a mentor, not a manager breathing down your neck.
• Grow into an AI lead: Weekly reviews focus on decision-making, not just implementation.
• Transparent roadmaps: Everyone sees the product backlog and can pitch ideas—interns included.

This is an UNPAID full-time internship position with a duration of 4 months, starting immediately. You will have the opportunity to work directly on impactful AI systems and play an active role in improving accessibility in education. We provide a Certificate, Letter of Recommendation, extensive learning opportunities, and the chance to make a direct social impact on the education of Deaf students.