Investing in the Future: Matthijs’ AI Internship at Hint

A New Generation of Talent

At Hint, we believe that investing in the next generation of innovators is essential for long-term growth and impact. One example of this commitment is Matthijs, a talented IT student from Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle. Matthijs joined Hint for an in-depth internship focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning, with the goal of exploring how AI can be applied in practical, real-world settings within our AML Software platform.

Academic Foundations in AI and Software Development

Matthijs is currently in the final year of his IT studies. Throughout his program, he has completed courses in Business Process Management, Data Science, Machine Learning, and Software Design & Development. His final semester is focused specifically on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Through these courses and hands-on projects, Matthijs has developed a strong foundation in both theoretical concepts and practical application.

Predicting the Future with Data

During his internship, Matthijs explored how historical analyzer data could be used to predict future performance and simulate I/O points, supporting features such as digital twins and demo environments. Using real-world field datasets, he trained AI models that took ten hours of historical readings and predicted the next three hours of output. A key achievement of his project was the development of a modular and flexible system architecture, allowing different AI models and data sources to be easily swapped and tested—an approach that opens the door for scalable innovation.

Facing Real-World Data Challenges

As Matthijs delved deeper into the data, he quickly discovered the significant challenges that come with working with real-world field data. He identified several critical issues, including invalid values, duplicate and redundant readings, merged data streams from multiple analyzers, and irregular time intervals. These findings sparked valuable internal discussions about the importance of data validation, standardization, and reliability—factors that are especially crucial when deploying AI tools that rely on high-quality, trustworthy input.

Clarifying AI vs. Machine Learning

Throughout his internship, Matthijs also helped the team better understand the difference between artificial intelligence and machine learning in practical terms. AI is typically used for unstructured “human” data such as images, audio, and text, while machine learning is well suited to structured data like time-series analyzer readings. This distinction is vital when designing systems for industrial applications, where transparency, interpretability, and reliability are just as important as flexibility and prediction power. Matthijs also pointed out the risks of relying too heavily on “black box” AI models, where the internal logic is not fully understandable or controllable, making testing and verification even more critical.

Building a Foundation for Scalable Innovation

Although his models are not yet ready for deployment, the prototype system Matthijs developed offers a clear proof of concept. The platform he built can automate data preprocessing, run predictions, compare results against real values, and serve as a base for future extensions. His work was an important step toward defining what AI integration could look like at Hint—not as a one-size-fits-all solution, but as a strategic tool to support reliability, efficiency, and insight in our AML Platform.

From Internship to Career

As Matthijs wraps up his academic journey, he will submit his final internship report and will officially begin his employment at Hint on September 1st. Though the internship also served as a graduation requirement, its impact extends far beyond the classroom. It laid the foundation for future research and development within Hint and demonstrated how young talent, when supported and challenged, can drive meaningful innovation.

Reflecting on the project, Matthijs shared, “We started with the idea of AI integration into Hint — and in that sense, we achieved exactly that.” At Hint, we’re proud to continue building bridges between education and industry. Supporting young professionals like Matthijs isn’t just an investment in their future—it’s an investment in ours.