AI at Microsoft: Helping machines and people learn

Abstract:

Software continues to transform the world in remarkable ways. Scientists and technologists are pursuing the dream of artificial intelligence like never before. The progress of research and developing technologies is clearly accelerating, and this is leading more and more people, including business leaders and scholars, to become optimistic about the prospects for practical application of AI. AI’s greatest value lies in improving human life, and it is most efficient in this role when it is complemented with the creativity, judgment and wisdom of human intelligence. At Microsoft, AI is being infused into almost every product and service, providing tremendous benefits to users. In this talk, I will highlight the latest new technologies of Microsoft and some of recent work from Microsoft Research in helping machines and people learn.

Bio:

Miran Lee is a director of Microsoft Research Outreach Group at Microsoft Research responsible for academic collaboration in Korea and Asia-Pacific region.

Miran Lee joined Microso Research Asia in 2005 as university relations manager to build long-term and mutually beneficial relations with academia. She is based in Korea, where she engages with leading research universities, research institutes, and relevant government agencies. She establishes strategies and directions, identifies business opportunities, designs various programs and projects, and manages budget. She works with students, researchers, faculty members, and university administrators to build strong partnerships, and works closely with the research groups at Microsoft Research, focusing on research collaboration, curriculum development, talent fostering, and academic exchanges. She has successfully run a number of global and regional programs such as Gaming & Graphics, Web-Scale NLP, Machine Translation, eHealth, SORA (Software Radio), Kinect, and Microsoft Azure for Research.

Prior to her current role, Miran Lee co-founded Smart Systems, which specializes in IT outsourcing services in Illinois, United States. As CEO of Smart Systems, she successfully led the business with more than 100 percentage annual growth. From 1993 to 2002, she worked at British Telecom Korea in various positions ranging from systems engineer to account director to vice president. Miran Lee also worked at Samsung SDS, where she was responsible for International VAN (Value Added Network) businesses and led the International VAN business team. She started her business career as a system developer at General Electric Information Services, where she developed email, EDI, and in-house applications.

Miran Lee was an adjunct professor in the Telecommunication Department at Anyang University for two years (2001–2002) and she earned her MS in Engineering from Ewha Womans University.