Posted by Steve Clayton
We talk about Bing as a “decision engine” that anticipates your intent and surfaces search results to help you quickly make an informed decision. Built into this concept is the assumption that productivity is your chief goal. The Socio-Digital Systems (opens in new tab) group in Microsoft Research Cambridge (opens in new tab) has been studying how people use the internet for functions rather than getting things done, where it’s more about the journey (opens in new tab) than it is the destination.
Ideas: Exploring AI frontiers with Rafah Hosn
Energized by disruption, partner group product manager Rafah Hosn is helping to drive scientific advancement in AI for Microsoft. She talks about the mindset needed to work at the frontiers of AI and how the research-to-product pipeline is changing in the GenAI era.
Out of that they’ve developed some intriguing new search experiences that are on display this week at TechFest (opens in new tab), and these experiences cast new light on how online content can be consumed and curated. For example, one experience surfaces results about the stuff you care about—formula one racing, for example—and over time it “grows,” becoming a flower with each petal representing a different search result.
Another example uses a scrap book paradigm that lets you save your favorite search results, with each one being represented by an image and short snippet of text. What I really like about this is the ability to combine links to your favorite sites with visuals and text. And in both cases you end up approaching online search from a different mindset or vantage point.
My words really don’t do the work justice as it’s something you really need to see for yourself. (opens in new tab)