2026 Summer AI / Creative / Data Internship at McKinney in Durham, NC

New York, Durham, Los Angeles

At McKinney, we believe in iconic brands and ideas that move people. The future of creativity lives at the intersection of human insight, emerging technology, and intelligent data. We’re looking for curious builders, creative technologists, data thinkers, and AI explorers to join us for Summer 2026.

If you’re excited about how AI can unlock new forms of storytelling, how data can sharpen creative instincts, and how technology can enhance — not replace — human imagination, we want to meet you.

This isn’t a coffee-run internship. You’ll experiment, prototype, analyze, and help shape real work for real clients.

What You’ll Do

Partner with creative, strategy, media, and tech teams to explore AI-powered creative solutions

Support concept development that integrates generative AI, automation, and emerging tools

Analyze data to uncover insights that inform creative ideas and brand strategy

Experiment with AI platforms (text, image, video, audio, predictive tools) to prototype campaign ideas

Assist in building workflows that connect data inputs to creative outputs

Explore applications of AI across social, brand, comms, and influencer ecosystems

Evaluate performance metrics to optimize creative effectiveness

Contribute to internal thought leadership around AI innovation and responsible use

Help craft decks and presentations that clearly explain complex ideas

Bring curiosity, experimentation, and ethical thinking to every assignment

Who You Are

A rising junior, senior, recent grad, or graduate student pursuing computer science, data science, marketing, creative technology, design, engineering, analytics, or a related field

Fascinated by AI tools and emerging technology

Comfortable working with data — whether quantitative, behavioral, or cultural

Creative-minded — you see possibilities, not just outputs

Interested in how brands can use AI across social content, brand storytelling, comms systems, and influencer strategies

Curious about prompt engineering, automation, machine learning applications, or data visualization

Thoughtful about ethics, bias, and responsible AI implementation

Collaborative and energized by cross-functional teams

What You’ll Gain

Hands-on experience applying AI and data to real brand challenges

Exposure to creative development powered by emerging technology

Mentorship from strategists, creatives, technologists, and analysts

A portfolio of experimental and applied AI-driven projects

A deeper understanding of how data informs creative and business decisions

Experience navigating the evolving relationship between human creativity and machine intelligence

A network of teammates who will champion your growth

Our Point of View

We believe technology should amplify human creativity — not replace it. We are committed to responsible innovation and building systems that reflect the world we’re speaking to. We strongly encourage applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to apply. Different perspectives make smarter systems — and better ideas.

Salary

We offer a competitive salary of $18/hour for up to 40 hours/week.

Right to Work in the US

You must be authorized to work in the US for any employer. At this time, we are not providing or sponsoring assistance with obtaining work authorization.

We are in the office Tuesday – Thursday. We look forward to meeting you!

Ready to help shape the future of creativity?

Submit your video, resume, and a brief note telling us:

• What excites you most about AI right now?
  
  
• And how do you think AI and data can make creative work stronger?
  
  

Dates:

The Summer 2026 program runs from June 3 – August 12. 

Let’s build what’s next — responsibly, creatively, and intelligently.