GRIP, Internships Abroad Embracing the Unknown at GAO Capital

GRIP: GAO Capital

When I arrived in Changi Airport on Wednesday, I wasn’t sure what to expect from my next three months. Having given myself a few days to move in and get situated in my apartment, I was able to explore a bit of the city before getting started with work. The first few days at GAO were a whirlwind of new experiences, and it felt like I was immediately thrown in the deep end. As soon as I walked in the door, I was given an entire drive of documents to review in preparation for the project I would be working on. While it was overwhelming at first, I soon realized how supportive the Singaporean interns and rest of the team were at guiding me through the process and answering my questions. From day one, I knew I was in for a challenging but transformative experience.

My primary project is related to GAO Advisors, which involves more economic consulting work that requires detailed review of financial-related information and analysis and delivery of a structured final report. In order to streamline the information gathering and synthesizing process, my goal is to develop an AI model to classify financial documents and extract key information. I’m using Azure Document Intelligence, LangChain, and Cohere for the backend, and then integrating the backend with the frontend in React through Flask. By leveraging these tools, GAO is able making data extraction faster and more reliable.

Beyond my technical abilities, particularly in machine learning and natural language processing, my internship has also led me to develop other skills I hadn’t originally expected. I’ve learned how to deal with a steep learning curve and adapt to whatever challenges are thrown my way. Because GAO is a small company, I’m working much more in an entrepreneurial environment than in a corporate one. I think I’ve actually learned much more from being able to wear multiple hats at once and getting hands on experience with things I didn’t know much about before.

Overall, the work culture at GAO Capital has been incredibly enriching. Even just a week in, I already feel close with the team and know that everyone is always open to bouncing ideas off of each other, collaborating, and asking for help. Working closely with my colleagues has played a pivotal role in shaping my work experience. Observing this culture has also made me reflect on my preferred working style, and I have realized just how important a supportive and innovative workplace is in fostering personal and professional growth.

My experience at GAO has definitely solidified my interest in AI and its applications and finance, and I hope to continue pursuing opportunities at the intersection of these two fields in the future. I can’t wait to see where my learning and time in Singapore takes me next!