The Monthly Tech-In: April 2023

Welcome. Glad you’re here. Before you scroll, let’s tackle an obvious question: Why do you need a monthly tech-in? You know – and we know – the torrent of tech news often seems too brisk to fully digest. So we’ll tech-in with you by serving up snackable insights on Microsoft innovations and global tech advances spanning AI, sustainability, digital transformation and more.

In our first edition, we’ll prep you to discuss AI at your next weekend brunch. You’ll also explore “productivity paranoia,” where some bosses fear remote employees aren’t working enough despite data showing just the opposite. And you’ll visit a grocery store with the warmth of a neighborhood bodega and the convenience of the cloud.

By day, people deploy AI to battle bad actors or to take your burger order. By night, fans at some ballparks watch AI-based systems call balls and strikes while movie buffs bask in the glow of AI-enhanced action scenes.??

AI is 70-plus years old. But amid a blur of advances, it seems like everyone’s suddenly obsessing about the tech. Feeling the need to crack the buzzwords and clarify the hubbub? We'll break down some of the basics.

What is responsible AI? To learn more, we asked the new Bing to write us a poem about it.????Want to learn more? Our pals at Microsoft on the Issues have you covered.

You’ve probably caught the chatter about generative AI, which can be used to create original text, images and video. With generative AI, you can pen pop songs or plan sightseeing tours.

Beyond the fun, AI is fueling serious progress on big challenges , like sustainable farming and digital literacy. Nevertheless, society must ensure AI is developed responsibly to protect people.

And ultimately, people are at the center of AI, including Microsoft employees now building solutions that help us all. They include Juan M. Lavista Ferres and his team. They’re helping track climate change by converting human knowledge and data into code that can be read by AI and machine learning.

Want to learn more about AI? Consider this your 201 course. ??

What most bosses are missing about remote work

In the hybrid work age, supervisors can’t eavesdrop on your keyboard clacking. Perhaps not surprisingly, 85% of business leaders aren’t confident their employees are being productive. Guess what? Nearly 90% of remote employees contend they’re crushing their to-do lists. This is called “productivity paranoia.” Fixing it, experts say, requires changing the norms of work.

In California, toilet water and a green campus

Imagine using bottled water to flush the toilet or water the begonias. In most U.S. buildings, a single pipe carries drinkable water to bathrooms, gardens and office faucets. At Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus, onsite water treatment supplies non-potable water for irrigation and bathrooms, saving precious gallons in a state where water deposits may disappear within a century.?

The feel of your corner bodega … with AI

Nostalgic memories of New York City’s beloved bodegas inspired the launch of an autonomous grocery store just outside Atlanta. Yes, at Nourish + Bloom Market , customers use the latest tech to fetch their food, but employees also make the local patrons feel welcome and safe inside the shop.

Fresh faces are joining Europe’s digital workforce

Audrey Roumieux is dyslexic. As a child, she relied on “a little computer” to learn spelling and grammar. Today, she’s a data engineer and one of the first grads of the Microsoft AI School by Simplon , which is bringing women, refugees and people with disabilities into the world of AI.

How family connections and cultures can fortify your work

Pablo Veramendi’s tech evangelism began at 12 years old, when he showed his mom how a modem could change her life as an author. Now he brings his perspective as a father to responsible innovation at Microsoft.

We hope “The Monthly Tech-In” is what you need to feed your digital appetite. Between issues, you can keep current with the latest Microsoft innovations by following us on LinkedIn or by visiting us at Microsoft Source .