Microsoft seeks “digital civility”

Thanks to the rise of mobile devices, we’ve never lived in a more connected world. However, while it’s easier than ever to access a wide range of Internet services, providers of popular online services such as Microsoft, Google and Facebook believe that they can ensure that users access these services in a safer way.

Microsoft already takes online safety very seriously, as the company introduced this year new resources for reporting inappropriate content and hate speech on its various consumer services. A few months ago, the company also announced it plans to release a short series of research studies about online safety ahead of the celebration of the Safer Internet Day 2017 on February 7.

First of all, the company will publish a new study called “Civility, Safety and Interaction Online – 2016,” on Safer Internet Day 2017, which was completed by polling teens and adults in 14 countries about their experiences with various online risks. “We hope these findings will serve as an evidentiary base for a global push toward “digital civility” – healthy behaviors for youth and adults alike, both online and off, grounded in respect, constructive interaction and inclusion,” added Beauchere.

Additionally, the Redmond giant will release new educational resources on Safer Internet Day 2017 to suggest some “smart practices” for teens, adults, educators, technology companies and more. However, the exec noted that she expects online safety to remain a complicated topic with evolving threats that none of us can really anticipate.

"While we’re encouraged by our new campaign for digital civility and some favorable early feedback, we don’t profess to have all the answers – not by any stretch. On the contrary, new concerns and fresh twists on age-old internet issues continue to surface regularly, with many problems presenting a delicate balancing of interests. So, as one step, we want to get back to basics and encourage civility and respect in all online interactions."

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Microsoft uses AI to predict outcome of eye surgery

Microsoft used its' Azure machine learning and Power BI services to analyze patterns among eye surgeries undertaken in India with the help of non-profit LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI). The study was used to predict the outcome for eye surgery patients.

India accounts for nearly 55 million of the 285 million eye disease cases worldwide.

“By using our capabilities and pioneering work in the field of machine learning over the years, Microsoft has helped accelerate digital transformation in various key sectors in India, including agriculture and education. Today, I am happy to take forward the work we have done in healthcare with an esteemed set of partners. MINE, a global collaboration, reinforces Microsoft’s belief in the combined power of data, cloud and advanced analytics to drive public good. In our shared vision to eradicate preventive blindness, MINE will help redefine eyecare by bringing together the power of technology and knowledge of global experts” -  Anil Bhansali, Managing Director, Microsoft India

Microsoft had to wade  through 1.1 million anonymized records in order to provide insight to doctors about how the blindness spreads in the country.

Microsoft says it utilized Azure machine learning service to crunch the numbers and Power BI service to visualize the numbers. These numbers helped the doctors, Microsoft says, to ascertain how much time a patient has before their eye issues extrapolate. 

Microsoft says after going through such voluminous data, its AI-platform was also able to predict how likely it is that doctors will be able to successfully perform eye surgeries. Though the company didn't share how accurate its projections have been, it said it is ready to expand the initiatives with other academic and research organizations.  

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