Tasks from which a potential intern may learn the most are quite likely to be tasks which create value for the employer. Sounds plausible to me, along with you

Tasks from which a potential intern may learn the most are quite likely to be tasks which create value for the employer. Sounds plausible to me, along with your point about learning experience, but the comment you're responding to is just reflecting American federal labor law. According to the feds, paid internships can only be for the benefit of the intern, not the employer - if you're gaining from it, you're breaking the law.