We dwell in a quickly altering world.
Demographic shifts, local weather change, political dynamics, and plenty of different forces are creating pressing challenges in crucial areas like world well being and scientific discovery, environmental sustainability, meals safety, and societal resilience.
On this new AI period, know-how is altering even sooner than earlier than, and the transition from analysis to actuality, from idea to resolution, now takes days or even weeks somewhat than months or years.
“Right now we’re seeing a lot AI analysis taking place on the pace of dialog, to the purpose the place even our prime researchers really feel that their heads are spinning, however working collectively, offering openness, offering higher entry, we will see that we’ve made super progress.”
– Peter Lee, President, Microsoft Analysis
In 2024, Microsoft Analysis continued its foundational analysis (opens in new tab) to broaden the capabilities of enormous language fashions, however we additionally explored extra deeply how smaller fashions (opens in new tab) could be educated for particular duties. We found that through the use of smaller datasets and fewer compute sources, some small language fashions can exhibit enhanced reasoning and different advanced capabilities that have been as soon as thought-about the unique province of large-scale fashions.
Microsoft Analysis and its exterior collaborators used AI to allow earlier detection and therapy of esophageal most cancers, which might result in dramatically improved survival charges, and to speed up the discovery of latest medication wanted to deal with infectious ailments that kill hundreds of thousands of individuals yearly. And we continued to make use of AI to develop new instruments for scientific discovery in order that we and others within the scientific group can confront a few of humanity’s most vital challenges.
One staff of Microsoft researchers created the world’s first large-scale mannequin of the environment, which might rework climate forecasting and our skill to foretell and mitigate the consequences of utmost climate occasions. One other staff labored with world specialists to create a generative AI software that empowers non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to combat human trafficking.
We additionally opened a new analysis lab in Tokyo this 12 months. It joins our different labs in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. And we launched a collection of quarterly Analysis Boards to assist replace the worldwide analysis group about a number of the pivotal work we’re doing at Microsoft Analysis. Register for future episodes, view displays from earlier boards, and discover our briefing ebook content material.
This publish highlights a number of the work that Microsoft Analysis has accomplished in 2024, together with educational and business colleagues, to assist drive real-world advantages for folks worldwide.