Microsoft Research Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Called to serve: Tech, research, and positive impact with Chris White Oct 20, 2026

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Lab Director Chris White has worked on research challenges with real-world implications—from new approaches to wartime data analysis to tools for combating human trafficking. He talks to program manager Weishung Liu about the influences that led to the work and more.

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What AI gets wrong and what failure teaches us Oct 06, 2026

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Jennifer Neville did not want to go into computer science—but that’s exactly where she landed. Neville discusses the starts and stops that led to her professional sweet spot and her work identifying “surprising failures” making it hard for AI to handle complexity.

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Can we AI our way to a more sustainable world? Apr 20, 2026

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Doug Burger, sustainability expert Amy Luers, and optimization researcher Ishai Menache examine the global emissions implications of datacenter operations, efficiency gains, and AI's potential across electrification, materials, and food systems.

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Ideas: Steering AI toward the work future we want Apr 09, 2026

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Microsoft Chief Scientist Jaime Teevan and researchers Jenna Butler, Jake Hofman, and Rebecca Janssen unpack the New Future of Work Report 2025 and explore the ideal AI-driven working world. Plus, is AI a tool or a collaborator? And why the answer matters.

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Will machines ever be intelligent? Mar 23, 2026

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Are machines truly intelligent? AI researchers Subutai Ahmad and Nicolò Fusi join Doug Burger to compare transformer-based AI with the human brain, exploring continual learning, efficiency, and whether today’s models are on a path toward human intelligence.

The Shape of Things to Come podcast series

Trailer: The Shape of Things to Come Mar 03, 2026

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Microsoft research lead Doug Burger introduces his new podcast series, The Shape of Things to Come, an exploration into the fundamental truths about AI and how the technology will reshape the future.

The Shape of Things to Come podcast series

Ideas: Community building, machine learning, and the future of AI Dec 01, 2025

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As the Women in Machine Learning Workshop (WiML) marks its 20th annual gathering, cofounders, friends, and collaborators Jenn Wortman Vaughan and Hanna Wallach reflect on WiML’s evolution, navigating the field of ML, and their work in responsible AI.

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Ideas: More AI-resilient biosecurity with the Paraphrase Project Oct 06, 2025

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Microsoft’s Eric Horvitz and guests Bruce Wittmann, Tessa Alexanian, and James Diggans discuss the Paraphrase Project—a red-teaming effort that exposed and secured a biosecurity vulnerability in AI-driven protein design. The work offers a model for addressing AI’s dual-use risks.

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Coauthor roundtable: Reflecting on healthcare economics, biomedical research, and medical education Aug 21, 2025

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For the series finale, Peter Lee, Carey Goldberg, and Dr. Zak Kohane compare their predictions to insights from the series’ most recent guests, including experts on AI’s economic and societal impact, leaders in AI-driven medicine, and doctors in training.

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Reimagining healthcare delivery and public health with AI Aug 07, 2025

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Former Washington State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah and Mayo Clinic CEO Dr. Gianrico Farrugia explore how healthcare leaders are approaching AI when it comes to public health, care delivery, the healthcare-research connection, and the patient experience.

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