Summer Research Intern 2027 - Edge communications processing with AI accelerators
Introduction
IBM Research is advancing artificial intelligence through innovations in accelerator architectures, software, and hardware-software co-design. Join a world-class team of researchers developing technologies that bring efficient intelligence to cloud, edge, and emerging computing platforms.
Your role and responsibilities
IBM Research is seeking a Summer Intern to contribute to the development of advanced AI-driven solutions for performant communication and computing systems at the edge. The successful candidate will explore, develop, and optimize AI workloads on custom accelerator architectures, with a focus on efficient inference, kernel development, and performance analysis.
The work of this research internship sits at the intersection of AI systems, signal processing, and computer architecture. The successful candidate will investigate how emerging AI models and algorithms can be efficiently mapped onto specialized computing platforms for applications in wireless communications, edge intelligence, and next-generation computing systems. Example application areas include wireless signal processing, 5G/6G communications, integrated sensing and communications (ISAC), and AI-enhanced network intelligence.
The intern will work closely with researchers developing novel accelerator technologies and software ecosystems, contributing both creative research ideas and hands-on implementation. Success in this role requires curiosity, strong analytical skills, and the ability to translate complex algorithms into highly efficient implementations.
Responsibilities: Develop and optimize AI kernels and inference workloads for custom accelerator architectures. Evaluate and benchmark performance, efficiency, and scalability across representative workloads. Explore mappings of signal-processing and communication algorithms onto specialized computing platforms. Prototype and implement algorithms using low-level programming techniques and hardware-aware software optimization. Collaborate with researchers across AI systems, computer architecture, and communications domains. Contribute to the identification of new opportunities for AI acceleration in performant communication and computing applications operating at the edge.
Required education
Bachelor's Degree
Preferred education
Master's Degree
Required technical and professional expertise
Preferred technical and professional experience
ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT
IBM Research is the organic growth engine of IBM and an innovation engine for our customers and partners. As part of this mission, IBM Research anticipates and examines 'What's Next in Computing' to ultimately create and integrate the technologies the world relies upon to solve big challenges and unlock new opportunities. We create and pioneer new markets for IBM, our partners and customers as exemplified in our ongoing quest to reach practical and large-scale quantum computing. Across IBM Research, we realize the power and potential to accelerate discovery with our partners and clients by combining the power of high performance computing, AI, and Quantum, all integrated through the hybrid cloud.
YOUR LIFE @ IBM
In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.
Being an IBMer means you'll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you'll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.
Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.
Are you ready to be an IBMer?
ABOUT IBM
IBM's greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.
Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we're also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.
At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it's time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.
IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.
OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS
Supplemental 1 employees may be eligible for up to 8 paid holidays, minimum of 56 hours paid sick time and the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan. IBM offers paid family medical leave and disability benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law. This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 15 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.
IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.
The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.
Job Title
Summer Research Intern 2027 - Edge communications processing with AI accelerators
Date posted
21-Sep-2026
Job ID
133124
City / Township / Village
Yorktown Heights
State / Province
New York
Country
United States
Work arrangement
Onsite
Area of work
Research
Employment type
Co-Op (Fixed Term)
Contract type
Internship
Projected Minimum Salary per year
89,280.00
Projected Maximum Salary per year
163,680.00
Position type
Internship
Travel required
No Travel
Company
(0147) International Business Machines Corporation
Shift
General (daytime)
Is this role a commissionable/sales incentive based position?
No