We are drowning in numbers, and we no longer understand what they mean. Every day, headlines bombard us with figures meant to inform: billions in spending, trillions in debt, percentages signaling growth or decline. But for most of us, these numbers blur together. They register as “large” or “small,” but almost never as real. And that is more than a math problem. It is a civic one.
INFORMS has awarded Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) its 2026 Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Advanced Analytics, Operations Research and Management Science, for reengineering how global cloud infrastructure is planned and delivered, applying advanced analytics and AI to orchestrate complex fulfillment decisions across its rapidly expanding data center network.
In the rush to adopt artificial intelligence, many employers are now requiring that employees use AI tools. As you’re using AI, be intentional and selective. It’s critical that you know yourself. Research published in Management Science found that AI is most valuable for people who understand their own abilities and limitations. Assess yourself, so you can factor this into your process for incorporating AI into your work.
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A recent study offers a game-changing approach to restroom inclusivity by combining unisex (all-gender) restrooms with traditional men's and women's facilities, making venues more efficient and welcoming for everyone.
Some of the most widely considered online advertising safety and fairness policies, ads designed to help ensure that women, minorities and other protected classes are not disproportionately excluded from job, education and financial opportunities, may actually boost ad platform revenues while improving fairness outcomes.
AI tools are valuable brainstorming partners, but sound decision analysis still requires a “human in the loop.” According to a peer-reviewed study in a recent issue of INFORMS journal Decision Analysis, generative AI can help define viable objectives for organizational and policy decision-making, but the overall quality of those objectives falls short unless humans intervene.
Spending lots of scrolling through social media videos is a habit that many people often fall into. While it can be entertaining, mental health experts say it also can be harmful.
In journal Information System Research, researchers posted a model they created that uses AI to detect which videos can affect mental health, or even spark suicidal thoughts.
Gradually releasing TV show episodes, rather than offering full seasons all at once for binge-watchers, significantly increases engagement on subscription video-on-demand platforms and leads to substantially higher subscription rates.
OR/MS Today is the INFORMS member magazine that shares the latest research and best practices in operations research, analytics and the management sciences.
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Analytics magazine showcases articles and research reports based on big data, AI, machine learning, data analytics and other new-age technologies.
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