Microsoft Research Podcast

Ethan Mollick, an associate professor at the Warden School, and Azeem Azhar, a pioneering tech author and speaker, dive into AI's profound impact on healthcare. They discuss the urgent shortage of primary care physicians exacerbated by burnout and explore how generative AI can revolutionize the healthcare workforce. The duo emphasizes the need for innovative education and regulatory frameworks as AI transforms medical decision-making. They also highlight the potential of wearable tech for proactive health monitoring, reshaping patient-clinician dynamics.

The emergence of foundation models has sparked interest in applications to single-cell biology, but when tested in zero-shot settings, they underperform compared to simpler methods. Alex Lu shares insights on why more research on AI models is needed in biological applications.Show notes

Join researchers as they unveil Aurora, a groundbreaking AI model transforming environmental forecasting. Discover how this innovative approach enhances predictions for weather, air pollution, and ocean waves. They delve into the remarkable dual pre-training and fine-tuning processes that power Aurora's performance. While celebrating its achievements, the team candidly discusses current limitations and the future of probabilistic forecasting. Explore the collaborative efforts driving advancements in environmental science!

In this discussion, Matthew Lungren, Jonathan Carlson, Smitha Saligrama, Will Guyman, and Cameron Runde explore how teams across Microsoft are working together to generate advanced AI capabilities and solutions for developers and clinicians around the globe. 

Join Zak Kohane, chair of Harvard Medical School's Department of Biomedical Informatics, and Carey Goldberg, a seasoned medical journalist, as they delve into the complex world of AI in healthcare. They discuss the transformative effects of generative AI on patient care and decision-making. The conversation highlights both the ethical implications and the challenges of AI's integration into existing healthcare systems. They also explore how AI can improve communication while addressing disparities in health access, making it a critical topic for the future.

Join Hongxia Hao, a senior researcher at Microsoft Research AI for Science, and Bing Lv, an associate professor of physics, as they delve into the frontier of heat transfer in inorganic crystals. They discuss how AI is revolutionizing material science by enhancing thermal conductivity beyond silicon. With insights from their groundbreaking research, they reveal a massive database of materials and how AI serves as a collaborative partner in discovering innovative thermal solutions. The future of material design looks promising, driven by generative AI and advanced methodologies.

Xing Xie, a Partner Research Manager at Microsoft Research and co-author of the influential white paper on Societal AI, dives into the seismic shifts AI is causing across education, economy, and self-perception. He emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue to tackle the ethical challenges of AI. The discussion also highlights the Value Compass project aimed at aligning AI with human values, and stresses the need for safe and reliable AI systems. Xie's insights illuminate how societal AI can benefit from continued collaboration across diverse fields.

Healthcare experts Laura Adams, Vardit Ravitsky, and Dr. Roxana Daneshjou discuss responsible AI implementation in medicine, examining governance approaches, shifting patient-provider relationships, and the identification of bias to ensure equitable deployment.

Dave deBronkart, known as ePatientDave, is a trailblazer in patient empowerment and a cancer survivor. Christina Farr, a former health tech reporter, now advises on healthcare innovations. They explore how generative AI tools like ChatGPT enhance patient understanding and communication. Topics include the evolving digital health startup landscape and the impact of AI on women's health, pediatrics, and elder care. They emphasize the need for human oversight in AI applications and address challenges in integrating AI into healthcare systems.

Matthew Lungren, Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft Health and Life Sciences, and Seth Hain, Senior VP at Epic, explore the cutting-edge world of healthcare AI. They discuss the transformative power of generative AI in automating clinical documentation, which helps reduce clinician burnout. The duo highlights the challenges of integrating AI within electronic health records and the potential of innovative projects like Cosmos to enhance patient care. They emphasize the critical collaboration between healthcare professionals and AI to improve workflows and decision-making.