Community Workshop on Microsoft's Causal Tools: DoWhy and EconML

Community Workshop on Microsoft's Causal Tools

This post details a community workshop focused on Microsoft's open-source causal learning tools, DoWhy and EconML. The event took place on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, from 9:00-11:00 AM (PT) and was held virtually.

Workshop Overview

The workshop aimed to bring together users and developers of causal inference tools to share practical use cases, discuss Microsoft's open-source contributions in causality, and foster discussions on industry applications. The event featured presentations from practitioners and breakout sessions focusing on specific industry use cases.

Microsoft's Causal Inference Tools: DoWhy and EconML

Microsoft's DoWhy and EconML packages are designed to simplify the process of answering 'what if' questions. They provide a comprehensive framework for causal inference, incorporating state-of-the-art causal estimation methods and automated robustness procedures. The goal is to make causal inference more accessible and practical for a wider range of applications.

Key Features and Benefits:

End-to-End Framework: Covers the entire causal inference pipeline, from problem formulation to estimation and validation.
State-of-the-Art Methods: Integrates advanced techniques for causal effect estimation.
Automated Robustness: Includes procedures to assess and improve the robustness of causal findings.
Open-Source: Freely available and community-driven, encouraging collaboration and development.

Workshop Content and Discussions

The workshop included:

User Case Studies: Presentations from individuals and organizations using causal inference in their work, highlighting real-world applications and challenges.
Microsoft's Open-Source Efforts: An overview of Microsoft's commitment to developing and supporting open-source tools for causality.
Breakout Discussions: Focused sessions on specific industry verticals, including finance, retail, and energy, to explore tailored use cases and gather feedback.

Accessing Workshop Materials

While the event has passed and registration is closed, videos from the workshop are available for on-demand viewing. Interested individuals can access the overview, agenda, and videos through the provided links.

Contact Information

For further assistance or inquiries, participants can contact the organizers at caburact@microsoft.com.

Social Media and Sharing

The post also includes links to follow Microsoft Research on various social media platforms (X, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram) and options to share the page via these platforms. It also provides links to Microsoft's product and services pages, including Surface devices, Microsoft Copilot, Windows AI features, and various business and developer resources.

Privacy Information

Links related to privacy choices, consumer privacy, and Microsoft's terms of use and trademarks are also included, reflecting Microsoft's commitment to transparency and user control over data.