Meet Aarthi Anbalagan! - Pioneering AI within Azure Storage at Microsoft

Aarthi is a Tech Lead for the Azure Data Lake Store's telemetry and monitoring team at Microsoft, with 14 years of experience in Big Data, AI, Cloud, and Observability. She holds a Master’s in Computer Science from Brown University and has been instrumental in driving AI adoption at Microsoft, particularly within the Azure Storage organization.

She has delivered enterprise-scale AI solutions, including an AI-powered incident management auto-triaging system, streamlining cloud operations. Beyond her core role, she leads "AI Learning Champs," a v-team dedicated to fostering AI learning and adoption across Azure Storage.

Aarthi also engages directly with customers, speaking on Azure OpenAI at Microsoft's Executive Business Center in Silicon Valley Campus at Mountain View, helping enterprises navigate their AI transformation journey. She contributes to the broader AI community by writing for AI Simplified in Plain English, making complex AI topics accessible to a wider audience.

Passionate about AI accessibility, she actively mentors junior engineers on leveraging AI to improve their productivity. Beyond her technical career, she is a proud mother of two boys who keep her on her toes—a constant reminder that multitasking is both an art and a necessity.

Aarthi is a first-generation STEM graduate from a small town in India, excelling academically from an early age. She graduated summa cum laude in both high school and undergraduate studies, later earning a degree from an Ivy League university. She was an exceptionally meritorious student, securing the top rank in her district(1 in 70000) and completing her undergraduate degree on a full scholarship.

From an early age, Aarthi was fascinated by problem-solving and the power of technology. This passion led her to pursue computer science, where she discovered her deep interest in AI, ML, and big data systems. She firmly believes that computing is not just about code—it's about building intelligent, human-centered solutions that make an impact.

She began her career as a Software Engineer in telecommunications but soon realized her calling was in healthcare technology. Joining GE Healthcare, she contributed to the development of GE Healthcare's Senographe Pristina Mammography machine, a life-saving innovation. She played a crucial role in its journey from inception to market release, focusing on user experience and ensuring that cutting-edge medical technology was intuitive for healthcare professionals worldwide.

As part of the product development process, Aarthi participated in User Formative Testing in Buc, France, where she gained a new perspective on human-computer interaction (HCI)and usability. This experience, led her to pursue a Master’s in Computer Science at Brown University, Providence, RI. While working as a Research Assistant in Brown HCI Lab, she ended up working at the intersection of Big Data + AI in the Brown HCI Lab under the guidance of Professor Jeff Huang.

After completing her graduate studies, Aarthi joined Microsoft Azure as a software developer in the Azure Data Lake Store team. She has been instrumental in driving AI-based solutions for large-scale data systems, with a strong focus on automation, incident management, and AI-driven insights.

One of her key contributions at Microsoft includes the development of an AI-based incident auto-triaging system, designed to reduce response times and optimize cloud-scale monitoring. By leveraging Generative AI, her work has improved operational efficiency and streamlined issue resolution in large-scale distributed systems.

Aarthi is also deeply committed to AI education and accessibility. She leads the AI Learning Champs initiative at Microsoft, a program dedicated to demystifying AI concepts and fostering adoption across teams. Her goal is to make AI more approachable for both technical and non-technical professionals.

She volunteers as editor and contributorto the "AI Simplified in Plain English" publication. She focuses on breaking down complex AI topics into easy-to-understand, real-world applications, helping a broader audience navigate the ever-evolving AI landscape.

Beyond her technical expertise, Aarthi is recognized for her leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and ability to drive impactful projects. She is known for her strong sense of ownership, commitment to innovation, and passion for making AI more inclusive.