Microsoft’s AI Scaling Journey for Occupancy Prediction

In 2021, Microsoft was a $168 billion technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. The company employed 190,000 people who operated out of more than six hundred office buildings worldwide. This vignette describes how Microsoft used AI techniques to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and optimize facilities investments. Initially, a multidisciplinary AI team developed a machine learning model that informed building occupancy. Over time, the mode was recontextualized for a variety of use cases, including building optimization, dynamic HVAC management, and parking garage optimization, which served Microsoft and its customers. The vignette is part of a series of stories that illustrate value creation using AI.