Microsoft Research Blog

Research Blog

  1. A flowchart with three horizontal sections on a blue-to-green gradient background. The first section, labeled “Classification,” shows icons of a computer, an arrow pointing to a robot face, and another arrow pointing to a box labeled “TSP.” The second section, labeled “Inference,” displays a robot icon connected by arrows to two document icons, one of which includes a magnifying glass. The third section, labeled “Test-time scaling,” shows a document with a checkmark connected by an arrow to a circular refresh icon. Arrows indicate the flow between sections, starting from Classification to Inference and then to Test-time scaling.

    OptiMind: A small language model with optimization expertise 

    January 15, 2026

    OptiMind is a small language model that converts business operation challenges, described naturally, into mathematical formulations that optimization software can solve. It reduces formulation time & errors & enables fast, privacy-preserving local use.

  2. Three white line icons on a blue-to-green gradient background: a computer monitor with a globe symbol on the left, a cursor arrow with click lines in the center, and a computer mouse outline on the right.

    Fara-7B: An Efficient Agentic Model for Computer Use 

    November 24, 2025

    Fara-7B is our first agentic small language model for computer use. This experimental model includes robust safety measures to aid responsible deployment. Despite its size, Fara-7B holds its own against larger, more resource-intensive agentic systems.