Recently, I had the privilege of attending an internship opportunity at KAS, where we hosted a professor and a graduate student from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Through this experience, I not only gained valuable insights into AI engineering and research, but also a deepened understanding of education at a university level and what it feels like to work in a professional environment.

During the internship, we worked on smaller AI related projects, often with presets for us so we don’t have to code everything by hand. We largely focused on understanding the neural networks for AI. This included a lot of self study on the model for their neural networks and how algorithms learn. We used this information in the actual lab to experiment on image accuracy. Another significant part was understanding the basics of coding relating to these projects, such as how to operate Pytorch and basic python code to actually jump start our experiments. These tasks placed me in a very uncomfortable environment, as I am someone who has little to no experience on coding. However, by breaking through on this endeavor, I found myself thriving off of this predicament, with my problem solving skills honed, becoming someone with adaptability in a more professional context. One of my most impactful breakthroughs was at the end of our lab session, where off of the data given, I was able to set parameters that gave the highest image accuracy with the least amount of data used. This moment for me highlighted the importance of being an active learner, continuously trying until you get it right. These attempts, however, were not blind attempts. Throughout all of this, I had actively consulted our professors on the best approach, continuously learning. However, I don’t believe myself to have overcome all the challenges, which is why I would not say I am completely satisfied with my performance. While I was able to make some small breakthroughs, we were only scratching the surface of AI, and even still I was not able to understand the content fully. I believe given more time and collaboration among my peers and professors, I will be able to deepen my understanding further.

This internship has been remarkable for shaping my future aspirations. While I’ve confirmed my interest in the field of AI, I’ve only now realized how massive of a task it will be to pursue this field further, as it is rapidly developing and evolving through the smartest minds in the world. This does not deter me, rather, this has made me more optimistic and excited for my growth in the future. Internships, as I’ve come to realize, are not just about exploring career paths as I initially thought, but also about understanding oneself and unlocking capabilities, and I look forward to what awaits me.