Pace Students Take on Real-World AI Challenges During 2026 AI Internship Experience

Pace University's Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems recently concluded its 2026 AI Internship Experience, an immersive two-week program that gave students the opportunity to apply artificial intelligence to real-world challenges while exploring the technology's growing impact across industries.

Created by Christelle Scharff, PhD, and now entering its third year, the program was led this summer by Seidenberg computer science professor Matthew Ganis. Bringing together students from both the New York City and Pleasantville campuses, the internship combined collaborative projects, faculty mentorship, and conversations with industry professionals while challenging students to think beyond the classroom and emphasizing the responsible use of artificial intelligence. Hosted on the Pleasantville Campus for the first time, the program also gave students the opportunity to build connections with fellow Seidenberg students from across the University.

The cross-campus collaboration is a big part of the experience.

"I think that's an important aspect of it as well, meeting your fellow Seidenberg students," Ganis said. "The cross-campus collaboration is a big part of the experience."

Throughout the internship, students strengthened both their technical abilities and critical thinking skills by tackling real-world AI challenges in teams. Rather than providing step-by-step instructions, the program encouraged students to embrace uncertainty and solve problems the way they would in a professional setting.

"Nobody gives you the directions when you're in a real internship," Ganis said. "You just have to figure it out."

Working together, students developed AI-powered solutions while learning how emerging technologies can address practical challenges. The program culminated in final presentations showcasing the projects they built and the skills they developed over the course of the internship.

Brianna Ganesh ’28, a computer science major from Trinidad and Tobago, said that "this internship has shown me not to be afraid of AI, but to be part of the wave of AI—to make changes instead of being fearful of it." She added that "AI can be an assistant or a tool rather than a weapon against me. That's really important to understand."

As one of the program highlights, students visited IBM's Think Lab in Yorktown Heights, where they explored one of the company's premier research facilities dedicated to artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and the future of computing. The visit connected concepts introduced throughout the internship with cutting-edge industry research, giving students a firsthand look at how AI is transforming industries around the world.

Being able to understand [AI] and incorporate it into my work and my studies is going to be really beneficial.

"One thing I'm taking away from this internship is learning how to use AI more efficiently and having it help me solve everyday problems," said Lucio DiGiacomo '29, a first-year cybersecurity major from White Plains. "I want to be a software developer, and I know these skills are going to help me throughout my career."

For first-year computer science major Andres Arroyave '29, the program reinforced AI's growing role as a collaborative technology. "I think AI is becoming more of an assistant and more of a friend to users and workers alike. Being able to understand it and incorporate it into my work and my studies is going to be really beneficial,” he said.

For Ganis, those experiences are exactly what the internship is designed to provide. “Quite honestly, I view my sole job as to help you, the student, get a job," he said. "My goal is to help students put something on their resume that allows them to be looked at longer than the other resumes. I can't get a job for you. But what I can do is give you the opportunity to talk about something you've done that's unique and gets you the interview."

With each new edition, the internship reflects Pace University's commitment to preparing students for careers in emerging technologies through experiential learning and industry engagement. By combining faculty expertise, collaborative learning, and exposure to leading technology organizations like IBM, the program equips students with the technical knowledge, ethical perspective, and problem-solving skills needed to succeed in an AI-driven workforce.