Microsoft Predictions Artificial Intelligence is Game

Artificial Intelligence

The year 2016 represents a huge milestone for Microsoft research wing, which enters its 25th year. In a recent blog post, 16 leaders of its technology and research wing released some pretty fascinating predictions revolving around the big trends of 2016. Predictions big enough to make us excited for what lies ahead. Most of the Microsoft predictions revolve around artificial intelligence, quantum computing, quantum computers, Internet of Things, security, predictive analytics, cloud, and data centers. Every one of them appear to be stating one thing: expect 2016 to be a huge year for artificial intelligence, with huge ramifications for the design industry.

Chris Bishop, Managing Director of Microsoft Research, Cambridge UK says that the year 2016 will see emergence of new silicon architectures that are tuned to more powerful GPUs. The new development of silicon architectures will bring new applications of depth camera technology on smart devices.

Microsoft Predictions Artificial Intelligence is Game

It will also lead to more natural and competent speech interactions with smart devices that will make virtual personal assistants like Cortana conversation smart says Eric Horvitz, managing director, Microsoft Research Redmond Lab.

Horvitz believes that the AI developments in 2016 will allow virtual assistants to understand the tasks we’re working on and help with them—for instance, Cortana would be able to compile research automatically, like any real personal assistant would do. Virtual assistants will be able to understand the concept of commitment – for instance, realize from the context of an email that you’re meeting a colleague out for a drink, and automatically adding it to your calendar.

Lily Cheng, engineer and general manager, Microsoft Research NExT, thinks AI won’t just help us get our work done, it will also prove to be companion that helps us keep positive. Our online conversations being constantly mediated by virtual assistant, who will act as a perky companion keeping us more productive and upbeat. This will lead us to question and obscure the way we consider our PCs, smartphones and our relationships.

Microsoft’s additionally wagering that AI will get to be partners to humans when we interact with different brands online. Hsiao-Wuen Hon, corporate VP of Microsoft Research Asia, says 2016 will see critical appropriation of AI in addition to discretionary human-in-the-loop for personal assistant services.

These forecasts bear a resemblance to zero UI, a design philosophy that AI will allow us to minimize user interfaces in our applications and devices until they are altogether imperceptible. We can make a pretty good guess where Microsoft is placing its bets on in 2016: Artificial Intelligence.