Wayne State student’s passion for AI leads to NASA internship

For Hamsini Gupta, reaching for the stars looks a little different than it does for other students.

This fall, the Wayne State University senior studying computer science in the James and Patricia Anderson College of Engineering and the Irvin D. Reid Honors College is fulfilling a yearslong dream of working with NASA.

As a Trustworthy AI intern at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, Gupta explores how to make artificial intelligence safer and more reliable. During the semester-long internship, she is studying ways to test whether AI can be trusted to make decisions in autonomous technology, including flight systems.

The opportunity builds on the research experience, faculty mentorship and hands-on learning Gupta has gained throughout her time at Wayne State.

A launchpad for research

Wayne State computer science professor Dr. Loren Schwiebert helped Gupta earn a spot in a National Science Foundation-funded research program at Oakland University through a letter of recommendation. Gupta eventually published a paper based on her project.

"That experience gave me a better understanding of what research actually looks like," Gupta said. "Working with large language models taught me how much experimentation goes into improving these systems and made me even more excited about pursuing AI research."

Gupta's research experience opened another door at Wayne State, allowing her to join computer science associate professor Dr. Alexander Kotov's research lab. There, she worked with large language models, exploring ways to improve their accuracy and performance. With encouragement from her mentors, including doctoral student Mona Zamiri, Gupta continued seeking opportunities to expand her AI research experience.

"I really don't think I would have been prepared for the NASA program without the support of these mentors," Gupta said. "I'm incredibly grateful that they were willing to take a chance on me.

The road to NASA

As Gupta gained more experience in artificial intelligence research, she began exploring ways to apply her skills in a professional setting. That led to an internship with Halliburton in Houston, where she developed a platform to evaluate AI coding tools by weighing their productivity benefits against potential security vulnerabilities, bugs and code quality concerns.

"Working on this unique side of AI sparked my interest in trustworthy AI and ultimately led me to pursue my current internship at NASA" Gupta said.

By her senior year, Gupta finally received the news she had been hoping for.

"The second I got the email saying I had been selected, I immediately told my dad, and we celebrated," Gupta said. "In that moment, it really felt like all the hard work I had put in throughout my degree had paid off."

A career ready for liftoff

Working alongside NASA researchers has opened Gupta's eyes to new possibilities. Beyond the research experience, the journey reinforced the importance of believing in herself and pursuing opportunities, even when the outcome is uncertain.

"This internship is helping me realize how much I enjoy research, especially when it involves problems that don't have simple answers," she said. "My advice to students is to just apply anyway. Otherwise, you're counting yourself out of an opportunity before giving someone the chance to consider you."

Gupta may have reached one of her biggest goals, but with graduation approaching next year and a future in research ahead, she has plenty of stars left to reach for.