Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Lin Zhu

Jaewon Yang

Xiao Yan

Qi He

Jacob Bollinger

Yanen Li

How Jing

Mikhail Obukhov

Yiming Wang

Wenjia Ma

Joey Bai

Farzard Eskafi

Shiqi Wu

Apparatuses, computer readable medium, and methods are disclosed for verifying skills of members of an online connection network. The apparatus, computer readable medium, and methods may include a method including responding to a first member of the online connection network indicating a skill possessed by the first member by selecting a skill verification user interface (UI) to present to a second member of the online connection network where the first member and the second member are connected via the online connection network. The method may further include presenting the skill verification UI to the second member, where the skill verification UI presents an indication of the first member, an indication of the skill, and a query regarding a competence level of the skill possessed by the first member. The method may further include receiving a response to the query and determining a skill validation value of the skill for the first member based on the response and a machine learning model.

Skill validation

In an example embodiment, a framework to infer a user's value for a particular attribute based upon a multi-task machine learning process with uncertainty weighting that incorporates signals from multiple contexts is provided. In an example embodiment, the framework aims to measure a level of a user attribute under a certain context. Rather than attempting to devise a universal, one-size-fits-all value for the attribute, the framework acknowledges that the user's value for that attribute can vary depending on context and factors in the context under which the user's attribute levels are measured. Multiple contexts are defined depending on different situations where users and entities such as companies and organizations need to evaluate user attribute levels. Signals for attribute levels are then collected for each context. Machine learning models are utilized to estimate attribute values for different contexts. Multi-task deep learning is used to level attributes from different contexts.

Multi-task learning framework for multi-context machine learning

Techniques for ranking skills using an ensemble machine learning approach are described. The outputs of two heterogenous, machine-learned models are combined to rank a set of skills that may be possessed by an end-user of an online service. Some subset of the highest-ranking skills is then presented to the end-user with a recommendation that the skills be added to the end-user's profile. The ensemble learning technique involves a concept referred to as 'boosting', in which a weaker performing model is enhanced (e.g., 'boosted') by a stronger performing model, when ranking the set of skills. Accordingly, by using a combination of models, better results are achieved than might be with either one of the individual models alone. Furthermore, the approach is scalable in ways that cannot be achieved with heuristic-based approaches.

Techniques for suggesting skills

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Lin Zhu