c|Oct 25, 2016

Microsoft Releases Updated Cognitive Toolkit

Microsoft has released a beta version of its updated Cognitive Toolkit, the deep learning technology that its developers use to train computer systems in speech and image recognition. Available on Github under an open source license, the toolkit is the same one Microsoft researchers used to create a speech recognition system that could recognize words…
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news|Oct 18, 2016

Microsoft Computer Can Transcribe Conversations As Well As a Human

SkyNet may be only a few steps away. Microsoft researchers say they have come up with a technology that can recognize words in a recorded conversation just as well as an actual human being would, claiming victory over a problem computer scientists have been working on for decades. The company’s Artificial Intelligence and Research division…
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news|Sep 30, 2016

Microsoft Reorganizes, Focuses on AI

Microsoft is forming a new research group focused on artificial intelligence, the company announced Thursday. Led by Harry Shum, a former corporate VP for Bing with 20 years of Microsoft service under his belt, the 5,000-strong AI and Research Group will bring an AI emphasis to all the company’s platforms and services. It will incorporate…
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news|Sep 27, 2016

A More Secure Microsoft Edge, and Other News from Ignite 2016

In the wake of highly publicized cyberattacks on big companies, Microsoft on Monday rolled out new security features for its Edge browser. Windows Defender Application Guard, developed for the company’s enterprise customers, will use Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization technology to isolate potential security threats. “The threat landscape has changed significantly in recent years,” reads a Microsoft…
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how-to|Jul 6, 2016

FamilyNotes App Demos Windows 10’s Speech, Facial Recognition Capabilities

Microsoft wants to lead its customers into a bold future where interacting with computers and other devices is less reliant on keyboards and typing and more like conversing with an actual human. Or, as a recent post on the company’s Windows developer blog puts it, “Speech rules, text drools.” To demonstrate Windows 10’s speech, facial…
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editorial|May 20, 2016

The Future Is Here, and It’s Chatty

Among the most-talked-about news at Google’s I/O conference this week were the announcements of two AI-related projects: Google Assistant, an upgraded digital assistant capable of conducting two-way conversations and performing tasks like ordering movie tickets, and Google Home, a competitor to Amazon’s Echo that would combine home automation with virtual assistance. Meanwhile, ZDNet leaked that Microsoft…
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