How Microsoft is trying to become more innovative – TechCrunch

Microsoft Research is a globally distributed playground for people interested in solving fundamental science problems. These projects often focus on machine learning and artificial intelligence, and since Microsoft is on a mission to infuse all of its products with more AI smarts, it's no surprise that it's also seeking ways to integrate Microsoft Research's innovations into the rest of the company. Across the board, the company is trying to find ways to become more innovative, especially around its work in AI, and it's putting processes in place to do so. Microsoft is unusually open about this process, too, and actually made it somewhat of a focus this week at Ignite, a yearly conference that typically focuses more on technical IT management topics. At Ignite, Microsoft will for the first time present these projects externally at a dedicated keynote.