Programs

We currently offer three types of programs: our annual flagship program, the two-week micro-internship, as well as the speaker series and hackathon. Please select each below to read more, including information about past iterations.

Micro-Internship: Try AI research with a mentor for 2 weeks!

The micro-internship is a two-week opportunity to try out research in the area of artificial intelligence for social impact. We pair early undergraduate students with graduate students, more senior undergraduate students with research experience, and/or postdoctoral scholars for guidance through the research process, from scoping out a problem of interest to both mentor and mentee, to literature review, to planning experiments, to presenting ideas. Read on to see what others have explored in the past!

Past Programs

January 2023: Our second micro-internship took place virtually in January 2023. Topics included AI and healthcare, conservation, fairness, justice, and biology. Check out Blogs from some of our participants to learn about their experiences!

December 2020: Our first micro-internship took place virtually in December 2020. Topics included AI and healthcare, social media, conservation, physics, and privacy. 

Speaker Series: Chat with AI practitioners for an hour!

The Speaker Series highlights researchers and professionals working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and society, especially those from historically underrepresented groups in computing. These speakers spend an hour with high school and early undergraduate students discussing their recent research, career paths, and more. Students then have an opportunity to ask questions about both, and about ideas of their own! 

Past Programs

April 2021: An interactive discussion with Chinasa T. Okolo, a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science at Cornell University. Chinasa discussed her research on the applications, implications, and perceptions of AI-enabled healthcare deployed throughout the Global South and North, as well as her career path.

February 2021: Try AI hosted several interactive discussions featuring AI professionals Prof. Milind Tambe, Sarah Newman, and Prof. Sarah Brown. Each professional talked about their career journey while also exploring AI ideas and questions.

Hackathon: Brainstorm about AI in society for a day!

The Hackathon is a one-day event where teams of students can explore research in the area of artificial intelligence for social impact. We match teams of high school students with mentors to learn about research and brainstorm how AI can impact society!

Past Programs

February 2020: Taking place at the 2020 AAAI conference and held at the City College of NY, Try AI partnered with Sister to Sister International, Inc. and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) to host a networking and professional development event for local high school students.

Activities included a panel discussion with AI professionals, discussions between students and mentors regarding AI in society, and presentations about these discussions.

Questions? Email Elizabeth at elizabeth@try-ai.org!