Machine Learning Intern
At a glance
Junior Machine Learning Engineering role at Epic Games. BLANK · internship.
In listing Machine Learning Engineering salary
aimlroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Develop machine learning models alongside research scientists and engineers across vision, language, speech, embodied agents and games
- Investigate topics such as conversational characters, game agents, 3D tracking, reinforcement learning and speech systems
- Explore AI applications in game creation, player safety, recommendations, localization and real-time model performance
What you bring
- You are studying for a PhD or graduated within the past year in computer science, mathematics, AI or a related field
- You have published in leading conferences or journals and built deep learning algorithms for vision, language or speech tasks
- You know methods such as Transformers, diffusion and reinforcement learning, and have post-trained foundation models
- You bring strong AI coding and experimental engineering skills
Who this fits
This internship is for current PhD students and people who completed a doctorate within the past year. It lasts five to twelve months initially, with full-time or part-time hours and flexible start dates in 2026 or 2027. You must already have authorization to work in the internship location for its entire duration; visa support is unavailable.
From the employer
WHAT MAKES US EPIC?
At the core of Epic’s success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it’s building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we’re always innovating.
Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We’re constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.
ENGINEERING - EPIC RESEARCH
What We Do
Epic Research conducts state-of-the-art research in machine learning, AI, character animation, and digital humans. We work with leading universities and product teams to bring new research into games like Fortnite, Unreal Engine, MetaHuman, and the tools creators use every day.
MACHINE LEARNING RESEARCH INTERNSHIP AT EPIC GAMES
What You'll Do
Epic Games is looking for current PhD students and recent PhD graduates (within 12 months of graduation) for paid research internships, working on state-of-the-art machine learning across our ecosystem. Epic makes Unreal Engine, which powers creative work across many industries, alongside some of the world's most popular games, including Fortnite and Rocket League. Through these products, ML research at Epic reaches millions of creators and players every day. AI is reshaping the games industry, and Epic Research - led by Lucia Specia and Michael Black - is at the center of that shift. We're looking for talented interns who want to be part of it.
In this role, you will
Work with our team of research scientists and engineers at the intersection of vision, language, speech processing, embodied agents, and game development to create state-of-the-art machine learning models in a range of areas - research topics of interest include:
- AI-backed interactive characters: LLMs for conversational characters, memory systems, automated evals, animation, etc.
- Game agents: vision-language-action, game-state agents, etc.
- 3D human and object tracking
- Reinforcement learning for embodied behavior
- Speech systems and conversational agents
- World building and game logic generation: video models, 2D->3D scene building, etc.
- AI-assisted game development, e.g. the next generation of Epic Developer Assistant for UE and UEFN
- Embodied and physical intelligence including human-object interaction
- Multi-modal diffusion models
- Player safety: AI-alignment, content moderation, etc.
- Improved user experience: personalised game recommendation, game representation, spam detection, etc.
- Content localization: (multimodal) translation, quality assurance, etc.
- Model distillation for realtime performance
What we're looking for
- An ongoing or recently completed (within the last 12 months) PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, AI or a related field
- A record of publication in top conferences/journals
- Experience implementing deep learning algorithms for problems in computer vision, natural language processing, or speech/audio processing
- Hands-on knowledge of state-of-the-art ML methods, such as Transformers, diffusion models, and reinforcement learning
- Experience with post-training foundation models, including SFT, preference training, and reinforcement learning
- Excellent AI coding and experimental engineering skills
- Desirable: game development experience in either C++ or C#
Internship Details
- Duration: 5-12 months initially (depending on your location), with flexible start-dates throughout 2026/2027
- Hours: full-time (40 hours/week) or part-time (20 hours/week)
- Location: Select regions within North America and Europe
- Employment Authorization: You must hold an existing right to work in your given location for the full duration of the internship - visa sponsorship or support is unavailable for this role
- Publishing: Research by Epic interns is regularly published in top-tier conferences
This role is open to multiple locations across North America and Europe (including CA, NYC, & WA).
This internship has a flexible start date in 2026/2027. Recruitment will be ongoing until teams find an ideal match. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the posting location for the duration of the internship. For more information about Epic’s Early Career Program, visit epicgames.com/earlycareers. This is going to be Epic!
Pay Transparency Information
The expected annual base pay range(s) for this position are detailed below. Each base pay range is relevant only for individuals who are residents of or will be expected to work within the specified locale. Compensation varies based on a variety of factors, which include (but aren’t limited to) things such as skills and competencies, qualifications, knowledge, and experience. In addition to base pay, most employees are eligible to participate in Epic’s generous benefit plans and discretionary incentive programs (subject to the terms of those plans or programs).
New York City Base Pay Range$139,029—$166,834 USDCalifornia Base Pay Range$122,345—$146,814 USDWashington Base Pay Range$111,223—$133,468 USDABOUT US
Epic Games is a leading interactive entertainment company. For over 30 years we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.
Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!
Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.
Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement). We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party. Further details on these matters can be found here.