Microsoft Research (MSR) has an incredibly open research policy that allows its researchers to completely direct their work. This is effective for Microsoft for many reasons. First, an amazing caliber of researcher works at MSR, because they are attracted by the freedom. Second, once they get here they naturally gravitate to projects that take advantage of Microsoft data and platforms. But, rather than solving short-term problems, they have the freedom to dream up long-range solutions.
This is critical to Microsoft’s mission for two reasons. First, in constantly evolving technology landscape Microsoft needs to be evolving and MSR helps lead that path. Second, when customers commit to Microsoft’s platforms it is frequently a long-term commitment because it is expensive to move. They want to know that Microsoft is leading innovation, that they are trusted long-term technology partner. MSR provides a showcase for that.
I keep all of this in mind with my research. I was drawn to MSR because of the freedom it gives us and inevitably my research looked for ways to take advantage of Microsoft’s data and platforms. I study how and why people provide information, how to aggregate that information into market intelligence, and how decision makers consumer faster, larger, and more flexible market intelligence. I have been very fortunate to test large-scale polling infrastructure as MSN and Xbox. Where we can reach hundreds of thousands of respondents and revolutionize the impact of opt-in survey tools. I have been fortunate to explore the value of Bing query data and Cortana question answers. Where we can learn how people engage. Some of what I do helps improve these tools in the short run: make them more engaging, more effective at providing information, but much of what I do is think about how they will evolve over time in the years and decades to come.
A lot of the work I do is seen publicly, as demonstrations of where technology can head. In 2012 we had polling on the Xbox that is now seen as a primary example of how opt-in polling, from very unrepresentative respondents, can provide valuable market intelligence. Slowly that work has evolved into more generic infrastructure for Microsoft that we look forward to demonstrating publicly in the coming months. In 2012 we demonstrated some insights from social media and query data on Bing. Slowly that work has evolved into more generic infrastructure for Microsoft that is starting to power backend functionality for Microsoft.
A lot of the work I do is seen publicly, as demonstrations of where technology can head. In 2012 we had polling on the Xbox that is now seen as a primary example of how opt-in polling, from very unrepresentative respondents, can provide valuable market intelligence. Slowly that work has evolved into more generic infrastructure for Microsoft that we look forward to demonstrating publicly in the coming months. In 2012 we demonstrated some insights from social media and query data on Bing. Slowly that work has evolved into more generic infrastructure for Microsoft that is starting to power backend functionality for Microsoft.I have worked on many projects at Microsoft, but they ultimately share a common core. A very defined set of long-range academic theories on how data is collected from opt-in users and analyzed have been empirically tested in many different prototypes and now products. It is a process that can really only be nurtured in an environment like Microsoft Research, in a company like Microsoft.
I have worked on many projects at Microsoft, but they ultimately share a common core. A very defined set of long-range academic theories on how data is collected from opt-in users and analyzed have been empirically tested in many different prototypes and now products. It is a process that can really only be nurtured in an environment like Microsoft Research, in a company like Microsoft.
David Rothschild is an economist at Microsoft Research. He has a Ph.D. in applied economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. His primary body of work is on forecasting, and understanding public interest and sentiment. Related work examines how the public absorbs information. He has written extensively, in both the academic and popular press, on polling, prediction markets, social media and online data, and predictions of upcoming events; most of his popular work has focused on predicting elections and an economist take on public policy. He correctly predicted 50 of 51 Electoral College outcomes in February of 2012, average of 20 of 24 Oscars from 2013-6, and 15 of 15 knockout games in the 2014 World Cup.