Hi there! My name is Jit Ping, the AI research intern at HAMERKOP. Ending up in HAMERKOP was certainly a whirlwind journey that involved a trip around the world. It started in Singapore, where I was born and studied my A Levels. College brought me to Boston University and subsequently to BU’s London Campus on a study abroad program. The program’s internship component led me to Hamerkop. While most of my peers are on Business or Economics internships, my Data Science and International Relations background was what made me believe that this internship would be a good fit for me. It has most definitely been the case!

The question that was posed to me at the start of my internship was indeed a lot more straightforward than the title of this blog post. However, I think the title of this blog post saliently captures two points 1) As a workplace, HAMERKOP has a strong team-spirit fostered by daily interactions and various team-building activities 2) My goal during this internship is to find out how various forms of AI can assist with the productivity of our consultants and generate cost savings within the company. In other words, to find out how AI can be a valuable member of a boutique consulting firm such as HAMERKOP.

The Process

Our consultants helpfully provided me with a list of tasks they thought AI would be helpful for. I reviewed their “AI wish list” and met up with everyone individually to have a chat. The goal of my first meeting was to better know every member of the team and to find out more about the challenges they faced at work. As a newbie in the carbon finance industry, I learnt a lot from my colleagues who would voluntarily give me readings and explainers so that I better understood the work they did. I was incredibly grateful that every team member was so generous with their time and willing to share with me the information needed for me to succeed.

After my first round of interviews, I sat down with my supervisor to discuss my findings and to refine the list of tasks previously given to me. The collaborative process was important as we got to communicate our expectations with each other. It also ensured that I could finish this internship with clearly defined goals and outcomes.

Thereafter, I spent time working on my various tasks. This involved research and speaking again with my colleagues to seek their feedback. I was especially excited to be able to run trials and create simple prototypes as a proof-of-concept to find out what AI can do well and what it cannot do. I was even able to get credits from the AI software Claude in my attempt to build a “HAMERKOP” Chatbot.

Life At HAMERKOP

While I was initially apprehensive stepping foot into a new workplace (and in a very much foreign land), my nerves were calmed the moment I met the team. Everyone was welcoming and seemed to be eagerly anticipating my arrival. As one who struggles with names and faces, it was mildly stressful to realise that everyone in the team already knew my name the first time we met. The small size of the team and the various one-on-one meetings allowed me to settle in comfortably in no time.

The small interactions at the office are great as well. Amidst stretches of being focused on work, there would always be someone who shares a funny story or engages in some small conversation to break the monotony of work. Lunch breaks were a pleasant time as well. The whole team would eat together, and it provided a welcome opportunity to converse about topics beyond work, allowing us to better understand each other on a personal level.

Final Thoughts

Aside from a vague notion of carbon credits, I knew nothing about the carbon market before I joined HAMERKOP. My time in HAMERKOP has given me not only an insight into the industry but renewed hope for the future of our planet. The time and labour needed to get a project launched is certainly no easy feat. The paperwork necessary to achieve certification and the issuance of carbon credit is rigorous and aims to ensure the quality of each carbon project. (Find out more about Guy and Hazel’s recent trip to India for an idea of what such projects look like) It is heartening to see the industry growing with an ever-increasing number of projects undergoing certification.

And of course, I cannot end without mentioning how great the team at HAMERKOP was. They made going to work every day a joy and I really treasured my time in the office and the relationships I fostered with every member of the team. These human connections (and the lunchtime routine of solving the day’s Connections puzzle) undoubtedly made my time in HAMERKOP a memorable experience.

There's no I in Team… but what about AI in TEA(i)M HAMERKOP? A (human) intern’s experience