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Collab AI Research

How Microsoft is using science and research to invent the future of collaboration

Science Corner

Here you will find talks, tutorials, and perspectives that examine how collaborative intelligence emerges and how AI systems can be designed to support joint work. The content is curated to surface new questions, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding of how humans and intelligent systems will work together next.

Talks & thought pieces

Researcher spotlights

  • Ryen White 

    Meet Ryen W. White, whose research tackles one of the most persistent challenges in computing: helping people find, understand, and act on information in ways that match their goals.

  • Longqi Yang

    Longqi Yang 

    Meet Longqi Yang, a Microsoft researcher whose research focuses on building systems that support long‑term success at the individual and team level.

  • Zana Buçinca

    Zana Buçinca 

    Meet Zana Buçinca, whose research shows that the design of AI systems can make or break our ability to think critically. As AI transforms work, her research optimizes it not just for efficiency but also for human growth and meaning.

  • Sonia Jaffe

    Sonia Jaffe 

    Meet Sonia Jaffe, an economist at Microsoft who turns the hype around AI into real, measurable impact. Sonia’s research doesn’t just ask whether AI works. It shows how, where, and for whom these tools are changing the way we work.

  • Darren Cosker 

    Meet Darren Cosker, whose research at Microsoft focuses on capturing the nuance of real-time, multimodal communication.

  • Aaron Halfaker

    Aaron Halfaker 

    Meet Aaron Halfaker, who has spent decades designing AI systems that help people work together, whether in real-time meetings or global online communities.

  • Hancheng Cao

    Hancheng Cao 

    Will AI boost your career or get in its way? Hancheng Cao’s research – and his own journey – offers a compelling look at how people and AI can collaborate across domains, from everyday writing to cutting-edge science.

Paper spotlights