Microsoft releases a lightweight foundation model that can predict AC optimal power flow in milliseconds, boosting efficiency and unlocking cost savings in grid analysis. At a glance Microsoft introduces GridSFM, a small foundation model that approximates AC optimal power flow in milliseconds, unlocking decisions  

At a glance Experimental validation: Using high-throughput screening with MatterSim-v1, we previously identified tetragonal tantalum phosphorus (TaP) as a potential high-performance thermal conductor. Now we have experimentally synthesized it and measured its thermal conductivity (152 W/m/K) to be close to the thermal  

At a glance AI agents are moving into social contexts. When agents manage calendars, negotiate purchases, or interact with other agents on a user’s behalf, they need more than task competence—they need social reasoning. SocialReasoning-Bench evaluates that ability. The benchmark tests whether an agent can negotiate for  

At a glance We construct geographically grounded, electrically coherent power grid models entirely from publicly available data and release a dataset spanning 48 U.S. states and multi-state interconnections. The models  

Large-scale networked systems underpin cloud computing, AI, and distributed applications and services. The USENIX Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation 2026 (opens in new tab) (NSDI ’26) is a leading forum where researchers and practitioners share new research, insights, and advances in the design and operation of these systems. Microsoft is proud to support NSDI ’26 as a returning sponsor, reflecting our ongoing commitment to advancing systems  

At a glance Some risks appear only when agents interact, not when tested alone. Actions that seem harmless can cascade causing a chain reaction across an agent network. In our tests, a single malicious message passed from agent to agent, extracting private data at each step  

At a glance Problem: Adapting large language models to specialized, high-stakes domains is slow, expensive, and hard to reproduce.  What we built: AutoAdapt automates planning, strategy selection (e.g., RAG vs. fine-tuning), and tuning under real deployment constraints.  How it works:  A structured configuration graph maps  

So maybe I’ll first turn it over to Amy. Can you tell us a little bit about your job at Microsoft and what got you into this space, maybe a little bit of your story? AMY LUERS: So as you said, I lead the sustainability science and innovation in the Microsoft Corp sustainability team, which really means I get to work with really smart people around the company, around the world, at MSR [Microsoft Research], on shaping and informing sustainability […]

[MUSIC FADES]  JAIME TEEVAN: Hi, I’m Jaime Teevan, chief scientist and technical fellow at Microsoft, and today, we’re going to talk about the new future of work.  So back in 2020, researchers from across Microsoft came together to try to make sense of this seismic shift in work practices that was happening as a result of the pandemic, and the next year, the group published the very first New Future of Work report. Microsoft has been publishing a new report every year since with no shortages of disruptions and major technological shifts in between.  Joining me today to explore the latest […]

At a glance AI benchmarks report performance on specific tasks but provide limited insight into underlying capabilities; ADeLe evaluates models by scoring both tasks and models across 18 core abilities, enabling direct comparison between task demands and model capabilities. Using these ability scores, the