About Lili Cheng

Leadership in Microsoft Research

Lili Cheng served as Corporate Vice President and Managing Director of Microsoft Research Americas, overseeing key labs including Redmond [1][10], New York City [4], and Montréal [5]. She was featured in research panels on social search [2] and gender diversity initiatives [3], highlighting her role in fostering innovation across Microsoft's research ecosystem [10].

Social Computing and Future Experiences

Cheng has long championed social software and future social experiences, delivering keynotes like the 2011 Faculty Summit on how social tools, initially popular with youth, evolve into broader applications [6]. In 2012, as head of FUSE Labs, she discussed the 'sociable researcher' role of social media in research [8]. Her work explores interactive social experiences blending research and action [3].

Conversational AI and Microsoft Copilot

Currently, Cheng leads the Microsoft Copilot Studio team, driving innovation in conversational AI for business applications [9]. She authors posts on the Copilot Blog and Dynamics 365 Blog, highlighting Copilot's role in scenarios like Volvo Penta technician support [7]. Recent announcements at Microsoft Build 2025 under her purview include multi-agent orchestration and maker controls in Copilot Studio [12].

AI Research and Bot Frameworks

Her oversight of Microsoft Research emphasizes AI research, bot frameworks, and spatial computing [bio]. This builds on her research leadership, connecting social experiences to advanced AI tools for productivity and innovation [10][9].

Diversity and Innovation

Cheng participated in the Microsoft Research Gender Diversity Lecture Series, collaborating with Stanford's Clayman Institute to drive diversity from research to action [3]. This reflects her commitment to inclusive innovation across her career.