{"id":1153464,"date":"2025-10-29T18:07:30","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T01:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/?post_type=msr-blog-post&p=1153464"},"modified":"2025-10-29T18:07:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T01:07:32","slug":"aieis-inaugural-cohort","status":"publish","type":"msr-blog-post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/articles\/aieis-inaugural-cohort\/","title":{"rendered":"AIEI\u2019s Inaugural cohort"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Microsoft launched the AI Economy Institute (AIEI) in 2025 as a corporate \u201cthink tank\u201d to ensure that AI\u2019s rapid advancements translate into broad societal benefits and a people-first<\/em> economy. The Institute\u2019s strategic rationale is to bridge the gap between technological innovation and societal impact, providing deep research and policy insights on how AI is reshaping work, education, and productivity. By convening interdisciplinary research and turning findings into real-world guidance, AIEI can inform both policy and investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To quote Microsoft Vice-Chairman and President Brad Smith, \u201cthe most important work ahead isn\u2019t just about building smarter machines\u2014it\u2019s about helping people thrive alongside them\u201d<\/em>, encapsulating the Institute\u2019s mission to put humans at the center of AI-driven economic transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pilot cohort <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AIEI\u2019s inaugural cohort launched in early 2025 with an initial point of inquiry focused on how AI can transform and enhance higher education \u2013 curriculum development, institutions, and specially computer science. 14 proposals were selected to investigate how generative AI can be effectively integrated into colleges and universities to drive innovation in teaching, learning, and workforce preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These inaugural research projects span critical questions \u2013 for example, evaluating the real-world labor market value of AI skills and micro-credentials, and exploring how generative AI can spur academic innovation across disciplines. The goal of this first cohort is to produce actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and industry, guiding how we adapt to AI in education and ensuring those insights feed back into Microsoft\u2019s own initiatives (like the Elevate skilling programs) to prepare people for the AI economy. So, while these scholars are producing peer-reviewed research, they are also providing real-time expertise at the speed of the AI Economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AI Economy Institute and its inaugural cohort reflect Microsoft\u2019s commitment to proactively shape an inclusive, opportunity-rich AI economy \u2013 one where AI\u2019s benefits are broadly shared and humanity \u201cthrives\u201d alongside advancing technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How AI can transform and enhance higher education? \u2014curriculum development, institutional models, and workforce preparation.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AIEI\u2019s inaugural cohort is leading on integrating generative AI into colleges and universities to drive innovation in teaching, learning, and credentialing. This translates to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actionable Research for Education <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Providing evidence-based insights on integrating generative AI into higher education that helps universities adapt curricula to meet AI-driven workforce needs, creates a network of thought leaders shaping AI\u2019s role in education and economic opportunity. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Understanding Direct Impact on Skills & Employability <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Evaluating current labor market value of AI skills and micro-credentials, guiding educators and employers to support inclusive pathways for students and workers to thrive in the AI economy. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Humanist AI <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • AI is at its most useful when it is an augmentation for human creativity and innovation. This cohort\u2019s research draws attention to the necessity of deep learning and thinking as core to the educational experience. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Microsoft launched the AI Economy Institute (AIEI) in 2025 as a corporate \u201cthink tank\u201d to ensure that AI\u2019s rapid advancements translate into broad societal benefits and a people-first economy. The Institute\u2019s strategic rationale is to bridge the gap between technological innovation and societal impact, providing deep research and policy insights on how AI is reshaping work, education, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43518,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"msr-url-field":"","msr-podcast-episode":"","msrModifiedDate":"","msrModifiedDateEnabled":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_classifai_error":"","msr-content-parent":1151895,"msr_hide_image_in_river":null,"footnotes":""},"research-area":[13556],"msr-locale":[268875],"msr-post-option":[269148,269142],"class_list":["post-1153464","msr-blog-post","type-msr-blog-post","status-publish","hentry","msr-research-area-artificial-intelligence","msr-locale-en_us","msr-post-option-approved-for-river","msr-post-option-include-in-river"],"msr_assoc_parent":{"id":1151895,"type":"group"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/1153464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/msr-blog-post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43518"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/1153464\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1154028,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/1153464\/revisions\/1154028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1153464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"msr-research-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research-area?post=1153464"},{"taxonomy":"msr-locale","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-locale?post=1153464"},{"taxonomy":"msr-post-option","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-post-option?post=1153464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}