International Monetary Fund · 1 day ago
Fund Internship Program (FIP) - Agentic AI - Information Technology Department
Washington, DC
Internship
Onsite
InternThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) is offering multiple internship opportunities in their Information Technology Department for graduate students interested in acquiring cutting-edge work experience in IT. The role focuses on researching and prototyping Agentic AI solutions tailored for Public Financial Management, while also exploring low-cost AI hardware options for member countries.
FinanceFinancial ExchangesFinancial Services
Responsibilities
Research on Agentic AI in Public Financial Management (PFM):
Explore and prototype Agentic AI workflows specifically tailored for government finance functions in emerging markets, ensuring all research is grounded in PFM use cases
Investigate the feasibility of "Human-in-the-Loop" autonomous agents for the public sector, analyzing how multi-step reasoning agents can function safely within the regulatory and fiscal constraints of PFM systems in developing economies
Collaborate with the team to demonstrate how Agentic AI can move beyond simple chat interfaces to perform actionable tasks in PFM, such as anomaly detection in treasury data, budget classification, or procurement compliance
Research on Low-Cost AI Hardware Options for PFM:
Conduct comprehensive research and benchmarking on low-cost AI hardware options (e.g., Apple Silicon/Mac Studio, low-cost GPUs including consumer-grade hardware) capable of supporting AI workloads locally for PFM applications
Configure and assemble test environments within the DAU lab, optimizing hardware settings and other solutions to maximize performance for PFM-related AI tasks
Analyze the trade-offs between cost, performance, and data sovereignty to recommend optimal low-cost AI hardware setups for member countries looking to modernize their PFM infrastructure without relying on expensive equipment
Local AI Deployment & Optimization for PFM:
Install and configure open-source models directly on local machines, utilizing libraries like llama.cpp, MLX, or TensorRT to leverage low-cost AI hardware effectively for PFM tasks
Run rigorous experiments to test if complex Agentic AI workflows can function effectively on consumer-grade hardware, documenting the limits of low-cost AI hardware for reasoning-heavy PFM tasks
Collaborations on AI Innovation in PFM:
Collaborate with the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) and other departments to align Agentic AI research with real-world PFM challenges
Engage with the DAU team to translate technical findings on low-cost AI hardware and agents into actionable advice for member countries looking to modernize their PFM digital infrastructure
Engagement with DAU Team Projects:
Shadow the DAU team on various generative AI projects, gaining insights into project management and stakeholder engagement within the PFM domain
Provide support from the HQ-based office for the DAU work that teams may carry out in the field during country missions
Lessons Learned & Technical Documentation:
Maintain detailed technical documentation of all experiments, including low-cost AI hardware benchmarking results, installation guides, and Agentic AI prototype performance in PFM scenarios
Document challenges related to driver compatibility, quantization impacts, and the practicalities of running agents on low-cost AI hardware
Ad-hoc AI-Related Tasks:
Undertake any other AI-related work that may arise, demonstrating flexibility and a proactive approach to emerging needs and opportunities in the field of AI for PFM
Qualification
Required
Be enrolled in a Master's degree program in a relevant field, such as information technology (computer science, information systems management), data science, or business administration
Be in student status at the time of the internship. Only those students who will return to school upon completion of their internship assignments would be considered
Be in good academic standing
Have an excellent command of English (both written and oral)
Show an interest in, and aptitude for working in a multicultural environment
Strong background in Computer Engineering, Hardware Engineering, or Computer Science
Experienced in Agentic AI and open source AI models: A strong desire to explore how autonomous agents can be applied to real-world governance and financial challenges
Hands-on experience with Computer Hardware: Proven ability to build, configure, and troubleshoot physical computer systems, including GPU installation and managing hardware constraints
Understanding of AI Hardware Constraints: Knowledge of VRAM limitations, quantization methods, and how to fit large models onto low-cost AI hardware options
Technical proficiency in Local AI Deployment: Experience with tools for running models locally (e.g., Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp) and optimizing them for low-cost AI hardware backends
Programming skills: Proficiency in Python, C++ or similar
Research & Analytical Skills: Ability to design experiments, collect performance data, and draw technical conclusions
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
Benefits
Round-trip economy class air travel to Washington, D.C. from their duty station (university)
Short-term visa may be provided for non-US and non-resident eligible candidates
Short-term limited medical insurance coverage per the eligibility guidelines
Company
International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund works to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, and reduce poverty around the world.
Founded in 1945
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Kristalina Georgieva
Managing Director
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