Microsoft invited science fiction writers to the research facility, publish the research contents, what is its intention?

Microsoft invited nine science fiction writers named famous scientists to the Microsoft research institute to research advanced technology. The invited science fiction writer said that Microsoft engineers were allowed to explore the technology being studied and to have free visits, asking questions. The reason why Microsoft secretly published research contents to science fiction writers has been clarified.

Future Visions
http://news.microsoft.com/futurevisions/

Microsoft invited 9 sci-fi writers into its research labs and they wrote a book of short stories | VentureBeat | Media | by Paul Sawers
http://venturebeat.com/2015/11/17/microsoft-invited-9-sci-fi-writers-into-its-research-labs-and-they-wrote-a-book-of-short-stories/

At Microsoft Research Institute, we are vigorously developing "future technologies" that have the potential to be realized in the world after 10 years. Among the many IT companies that develop products in anticipation of the future two years later, the giant Microsoft is developing technologies and services that are not guaranteed far beyond realization.

For example, the future of computing that Microsoft is about to realize can be confirmed in the following movie.

Overwhelming movie "Productivity Future Vision" showing Microsoft's "future" created - GIGAZINE


Microsoft has invited nine science fiction writers secretly to Microsoft research institute which is ongoing and allowed to visit the facility freely. Science fiction writers are asked to explain the research on machine learning, quantum computing, real-time translation etc. being done in the facility, visit the laboratory in each field of interest and give the researcher contents of the research It seems that free discussion has been accepted while touching cutting-edge research results, including explanation and answering questions.

The purpose that Microsoft invited science fiction writers was "to provide ideas to science fiction writers". As science researchers inspire researchers to draw on the "future technologies" depicted by science fiction writers, as technologies evolve, science fiction writers are supposed to be inspired by the ongoing technology and there should be "SF novels" to be born By thinking, it is aimed at contributing to the creation of science fiction works by asking science fiction writers to know the technology under research and development now.

BySam Howzit

Harry Sham, senior vice president of Microsoft's technical research department, said about this attempt, "My wish is that people who read SF works want inspiration from a lot of science fiction works, "It seems like I used to be like that," explains that giving good influence to science fiction writers can benefit engineers and the general public.

Microsoft did not ask science fiction writers to place orders on the themes and contents of the work to be written and even to make works. However, the writers who visited the Microsoft laboratory have actually written SF works based on the "idea" gotten by the interview, making it "shaped" as a short story novel.

SF novels created by collaboration between this Microsoft laboratory and science fiction writers are "Future Visions: Original Science Fiction Inspired by MicrosoftIn the title of "Kindle eBooksYaIBooksIt is published free as an e-book such as.

Amazon.co.jp: Future Visions: Original Science Fiction Inspired by Microsoft eBook: Elizabeth Bear, Greg Bear, David Brin, Nancy Kress: Kindle Store