How has MSR contributed to the development of SmartScreen Technology?
Rashid: Back in 1997, David Heckerman led researchers in Microsoft’s Machine Learning and Applied Statistics (MLAS), Adaptive Systems and Interactions (ASI) and Signal Processing groups in creating the first machine-learning-based spam filtering technology using probabilistic machine-learning algorithms. MSR holds a patent on probability-based spam filtering. These researchers worked to refine and improve the algorithms over the next several years, working with various people throughout MSR, and talked with the product teams to determine what some of their needs were. Early last year, two of the MLAS researchers wrote a think paper for Bill Gates about how the company needed to do even more to fight spam issue, as well as what kinds of technology could help. Bill’s positive feedback spurred MSR to kick the machine-learning anti-spam filtering work into high gear again and combine it with other projects underway within Microsoft. Arbogast: This culminated in a number of MSR researchers
