Edge AI for Student Developers: Learn to Run AI Locally
AI isn’t just for the cloud anymore. With the rise of Small Language Models (SLMs) and powerful local inference tools, developers can now run intelligent applications directly on laptops, phones, and edge devices—no internet required. If you're a student developer curious about building AI that works offline, privately, and fast, Microsoft’s Edge AI for Beginners course is your perfect starting point. What Is Edge AI? Edge AI refers to running AI models directly on local hardware—like your laptop, mobile device, or embedded system—without relying on cloud servers. This approach offers: ⚡ Real-time performance 🔒 Enhanced privacy (no data leaves your device) 🌐 Offline functionality 💸 Reduced cloud costs Whether you're building a chatbot that works without Wi-Fi or optimizing AI for low-power devices, Edge AI is the future of intelligent, responsive apps. About the Course Edge AI for Beginners is a free, open-source curriculum designed to help you: Understand the fundamentals of Edge AI and local inference Explore Small Language Models like Phi-2, Mistral-7B, and Gemma Deploy models using tools like Llama.cpp, Olive, MLX, and OpenVINO Build cross-platform apps that run AI locally on Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile The course is hosted on GitHub and includes hands-on labs, quizzes, and real-world examples. You can fork it, remix it, and contribute to the community. What You’ll Learn Module Focus 01. Introduction What is Edge AI and why it matters 02. SLMs Overview of small language models 03. Deployment Running models locally with various tools 04. Optimization Speeding up inference and reducing memory 05. Applications Building real-world Edge AI apps Each module is beginner-friendly and includes practical exercises to help you build and deploy your own local AI solutions. Who Should Join? Student developers curious about AI beyond the cloud Hackathon participants looking to build offline-capable apps Makers and builders interested in privacy-first AI Anyone who wants to explore the future of on-device intelligence No prior AI experience required just a willingness to learn and experiment. Why It Matters Edge AI is a game-changer for developers. It enables smarter, faster, and more private applications that work anywhere. By learning how to deploy AI locally, you’ll gain skills that are increasingly in demand across industries—from healthcare to robotics to consumer tech. Plus, the course is: 💯 Free and open-source 🧠 Backed by Microsoft’s best practices 🧪 Hands-on and project-based 🌐 Continuously updated Ready to Start? Head to aka.ms/edgeai-for-beginners and dive into the modules. Whether you're coding in your dorm room or presenting at your next hackathon, this course will help you build smarter AI apps that run right where you need them on the edge.Model Mondays S2E13: Open Source Models (Hugging Face)
1. Weekly Highlights 1. Weekly Highlights Here are the key updates we covered in the Season 2 finale: O1 Mini Reinforcement Fine-Tuning (GA): Fine-tune models with as few as ~100 samples using built-in Python code graders. Azure Live Interpreter API (Preview): Real-time speech-to-speech translation supporting 76 input languages and 143 locales with near human-level latency. Agent Factory – Part 5: Connecting agents using open standards like MCP (Model Context Protocol) and A2A (Agent-to-Agent protocol). Ask Ralph by Ralph Lauren: A retail example of agentic AI for conversational styling assistance, built on Azure OpenAI and Foundry’s agentic toolset. VS Code August Release: Brings auto-model selection, stronger safety guards for sensitive edits, and improved agent workflows through new agents.md support. 2. Spotlight – Open Source Models in Azure AI Foundry Guest: Jeff Boudier, VP of Product at Hugging Face Jeff showcased the deep integration between the Hugging Face community and Azure AI Foundry, where developers can access over 10 000 open-source models across multiple modalities—LLMs, speech recognition, computer vision, and even specialized domains like protein modeling and robotics. Demo Highlights Discover models through Azure AI Foundry’s task-based catalog filters. Deploy directly from Hugging Face Hub to Azure with one-click deployment. Explore Use Cases such as multilingual speech recognition and vision-language-action models for robotics. Jeff also highlighted notable models, including: SmoLM3 – a 3 B-parameter model with hybrid reasoning capabilities Qwen 3 Coder – a mixture-of-experts model optimized for coding tasks Parakeet ASR – multilingual speech recognition Microsoft Research protein-modeling collection MAGMA – a vision-language-action model for robotics Integration extends beyond deployment to programmatic access through the Azure CLI and Python SDKs, plus local development via new VS Code extensions. 3. Customer Story – DraftWise (BUILD 2025 Segment) The finale featured a customer spotlight on DraftWise, where CEO James Ding shared how the company accelerates contract drafting with Azure AI Foundry. Problem Legal contract drafting is time-consuming and error-prone. Solution DraftWise uses Azure AI Foundry to fine-tune Hugging Face language models on legal data, generating contract drafts and redline suggestions. Impact Faster drafting cycles and higher consistency Easy model management and deployment with Foundry’s secure workflows Transparent evaluation for legal compliance 4. Community Story – Hugging Face & Microsoft The episode also celebrated the ongoing collaboration between Hugging Face and Microsoft and the impact of open-source AI on the global developer ecosystem. Community Benefits Access to State-of-the-Art Models without licensing barriers Transparent Performance through public leaderboards and benchmarks Rapid Innovation as improvements and bug fixes spread quickly Education & Empowerment via tutorials, docs, and active forums Responsible AI Practices encouraged through community oversight 5. Key Takeaways Open Source AI Is Here to Stay Azure AI Foundry and Hugging Face make deploying, fine-tuning, and benchmarking open models easier than ever. Community Drives Innovation: Collaboration accelerates progress, improves transparency, and makes AI accessible to everyone. Responsible AI and Transparency: Open-source models come with clear documentation, licensing, and community-driven best practices. Easy Deployment & Customization: Azure AI Foundry lets you deploy, automate, and customize open models from a single, unified platform. Learn, Build, Share: The open-model ecosystem is a great place for students, developers, and researchers to learn, build, and share their work. Sharda's Tips: How I Wrote This Blog For this final recap, I focused on capturing the energy of the open source AI movement and the practical impact of Hugging Face and Azure AI Foundry collaboration. I watched the livestream, took notes on the demos and interviews, and linked directly to official resources for models, docs, and community sites. Here’s my Copilot prompt for this episode: "Generate a technical blog post for Model Mondays S2E13 based on the transcript and episode details. Focus on open source models, Hugging Face, Azure AI Foundry, and community workflows. Include practical links and actionable insights for developers and students! Learn & Connect Explore Open Models in Azure AI Foundry Hugging Face Leaderboard Responsible AI in Azure Machine Learning Llama-3 by Meta Hugging Face Community Azure AI Documentation About Model Mondays Model Mondays is your weekly Azure AI learning series: 5-Minute Highlights: Latest AI news and product updates 15-Minute Spotlight: Demos and deep dives with product teams 30-Minute AMA Fridays: Ask anything in Discord or the forum Start building: Watch Past Replays Register For AMA Recap Past AMAs Join The Community Don’t build alone! The Azure AI Developer Community is here for real-time chats, events, and support: Join the Discord Explore the Forum About Me I'm Sharda, a Gold Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador focused on cloud and AI. Find me on GitHub, Dev.to, Tech Community, and LinkedIn. In this blog series, I share takeaways from each week’s Model Mondays livestream.Preparing for Your Organization’s AI Workloads – Student Learning Pathways
This structured plan helps students: Plans | Microsoft Learn Build foundational knowledge of AI in the cloud. Learn how enterprise-level infrastructure supports responsible, scalable AI deployments. Explore governance and monitoring strategies to ensure security and compliance. And the best part? It’s built using Microsoft’s existing training resources plus some brand-new modules to give you an edge. Your AI Readiness Journey on Azure 🎯 Milestone 1: Getting Started with AI on Azure https://learn.microsoft.com/training/paths/introduction-to-ai-on-azure/ Begin with the basics—from machine learning concepts to practical uses of Azure AI services. 🛡️ Milestone 2: Infrastructure Essentials https://learn.microsoft.com/training/paths/manage-iam-for-ai-workloads-on-azure/ https://learn.microsoft.com/training/paths/manage-network-access-ai-workloads/ Learn how enterprises secure access and manage identities—critical for real-world applications. 📊 Milestone 3: Monitoring AI Services https://learn.microsoft.com/training/paths/monitor-ai-workloads-on-azure/ Discover how businesses ensure their models perform safely and consistently at scale. 🏛️ Milestone 4: Advanced Management & Governance https://learn.microsoft.com/training/paths/ai-workloads-governance/ Master how organizations prevent data leaks and enforce responsible AI usage. 🆕 New Training Content Just for You To make this roadmap even more student-friendly, Microsoft has introduced updated and brand-new modules, including: Azure ML Authentication & Authorization Secure Azure AI Services Restrict Workspace Network Traffic Monitor Azure ML Prevent Data Exfiltration Govern AI Services with Azure Policy 🔗 Ready to Dive In? Whether you're exploring a career in AI or just getting started with Azure, these learning paths will level up your skills while helping you understand how real-world teams manage complex AI workloads. Start your journey on Microsoft Learn and become the architect of tomorrow’s intelligent systems. 💡 Would you like a version formatted for your internal newsletter or maybe something more conversational for social media? I can easily tailor it to fit the tone or medium you're aiming for.Multi-Agent Systems and MCP Tools Integration with Azure AI Foundry
The Power of Connected Agents: Building Multi-Agent Systems Imagine trying to build an AI system that can handle complex workflows like managing support tickets, analyzing data from multiple sources, or providing comprehensive recommendations. Sounds challenging, right? That's where multi-agent systems come in! The Develop a multi-agent solution with Azure AI Foundry Agent Services module introduces you to the concept of connected agents a game changing approach that allows you to break down complex tasks into specialized roles handled by different AI agents. Why Connected Agents Matter As a student developer, you might wonder why you'd need multiple agents when a single agent can handle many tasks. Here's why this approach is transformative: 1. Simplified Complexity: Instead of building one massive agent that does everything (and becomes difficult to maintain), you can create smaller, specialized agents with clearly defined responsibilities. 2. No Custom Orchestration Required: The main agent naturally delegates tasks using natural language - no need to write complex routing logic or orchestration code. 3. Better Reliability and Debugging: When something goes wrong, it's much easier to identify which specific agent is causing issues rather than debugging a monolithic system. 4. Flexibility and Extensibility: Need to add a new capability? Just create a new connected agent without modifying your main agent or other parts of the system. How Multi-Agent Systems Work The architecture is surprisingly straightforward: 1. A main agent acts as the orchestrator, interpreting user requests and delegating tasks 2. Connected sub-agents perform specialized functions like data retrieval, analysis, or summarization 3. Results flow back to the main agent, which compiles the final response For example, imagine building a ticket triage system. When a new support ticket arrives, your main agent might: - Delegate to a classifier agent to determine the ticket type - Send the ticket to a priority-setting agent to determine urgency - Use a team-assignment agent to route it to the right department All this happens seamlessly without you having to write custom routing logic! Setting Up a Multi-Agent Solution The module walks you through the entire process: 1. Initializing the agents client 2. Creating connected agents with specialized roles 3. Registering them as tools for the main agent 4. Building the main agent that orchestrates the workflow 5. Running the complete system Taking It Further: Integrating MCP Tools with Azure AI Agents Once you've mastered multi-agent systems, the next level is connecting your agents to external tools and services. The Integrate MCP Tools with Azure AI Agents module teaches you how to use the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to give your agents access to a dynamic catalog of tools. What is Dynamic Tool Discovery? Traditionally, adding new tools to an AI agent meant hardcoding each one directly into your agent's code. But what if tools change frequently, or if different teams manage different tools? This approach quickly becomes unmanageable. Dynamic tool discovery through MCP solves this problem by: 1. Centralizing Tool Management: Tools are defined and managed in a central MCP server 2. Enabling Runtime Discovery: Agents discover available tools during runtime through the MCP client 3. Supporting Automatic Updates: When tools are updated on the server, agents automatically get the latest versions The MCP Server-Client Architecture The architecture involves two key components: 1. MCP Server: Acts as a registry for tools, hosting tool definitions decorated with `@mcp.tool`. Tools are exposed over HTTP when requested. 2. MCP Client: Acts as a bridge between your MCP server and Azure AI Agent. It discovers available tools, generates Python function stubs to wrap them, and registers those functions with your agent. This separation of concerns makes your AI solution more maintainable and adaptable to change. Setting Up MCP Integration The module guides you through the complete process: 1. Setting up an MCP server with tool definitions 2. Creating an MCP client to connect to the server 3. Dynamically discovering available tools 4. Wrapping tools in async functions for agent use 5. Registering the tools with your Azure AI agent Once set up, your agent can use any tool in the MCP catalog as if it were a native function, without any hardcoding required! Practical Applications for Student Developers As a student developer, how might you apply these concepts in real projects? Classroom Projects: - Build a research assistant that delegates to specialized agents for different academic subjects - Create a coding tutor that uses different agents for explaining concepts, debugging code, and suggesting improvements Hackathons: - Develop a sustainability app that uses connected agents to analyze environmental data from different sources - Create a personal finance advisor with specialized agents for budgeting, investment analysis, and financial planning Personal Portfolio Projects: - Build a content creation assistant with specialized agents for brainstorming, drafting, editing, and SEO optimization - Develop a health and wellness app that uses MCP tools to connect to fitness APIs, nutrition databases, and sleep tracking services Getting Started Ready to dive in? Both modules include hands-on exercises where you'll build real working examples: - A ticket triage system using connected agents - An inventory management assistant that integrates with MCP tools The prerequisites are straightforward: - Experience with deploying generative AI models in Azure AI Foundry - Programming experience with Python or C# Conclusion Multi-agent systems and MCP tools integration represent the next evolution in AI application development. By mastering these concepts, you'll be able to build more sophisticated, maintainable, and extensible AI solutions - skills that will make you stand out in internship applications and job interviews. The best part? These modules are designed with practical, hands-on learning in mind - perfect for student developers who learn by doing. So why not give them a try? Your future AI applications (and your resume) will thank you for it! Want to learn more about Model Context Protocol 'MCP' see MCP for Beginners Happy coding!Microsoft AI Agents Learn Live Starting 15th April
Join us for an exciting Learn Live webinar where we dive into the fundamentals of using Azure AI Foundry and AI Agents. The series is to help you build powerful Agent applications. This learn live series will help you understand the AI agents, including when to use them and how to build them, using Azure AI Agent Service and Semantic Kernel Agent Framework. By the end of this learning series, you will have the skills needed to develop AI agents on Azure. This sessions will introduce you to AI agents, the next frontier in intelligent applications and explore how they can be developed and deployed on Microsoft Azure. Through this webinar, you'll gain essential skills to begin creating agents with the Azure AI Agent Service. We'll also discuss how to take your agents to the next level by integrating custom tools, allowing you to extend their capabilities beyond built-in functionalities to better meet your specific needs. Don't miss this opportunity to gain hands-on knowledge and insights from experts in the field. Register now and start your journey into building intelligent agents on Azure Register NOW Learn Live: Master the Skills to Create AI Agents | Microsoft Reactor Plan and Prepare to Develop AI Solution on Azure Microsoft Azure offers multiple services that enable developers to build amazing AI-powered solutions. Proper planning and preparation involves identifying the services you'll use and creating an optimal working environment for your development team. Learning objectives By the end of this module, you'll be able to: Identify common AI capabilities that you can implement in applications Describe Azure AI Services and considerations for using them Describe Azure AI Foundry and considerations for using it Identify appropriate developer tools and SDKs for an AI project Describe considerations for responsible AI Format: Livestream Topic: Core AI Language: English Details Fundamentals of AI agents on Azure AI agents represent the next generation of intelligent applications. Learn how they can be developed and used on Microsoft Azure. Learning objectives By the end of this module, you'll be able to: Describe core concepts related to AI agents Describe options for agent development Create and test an agent in the Azure AI Foundry portal Format: Livestream Topic: Core AI Language: English Details Develop an AI agent with Azure AI Agent Service This module provides engineers with the skills to begin building agents with Azure AI Agent Service. Learning objectives By the end of this module, you'll be able to: Describe the purpose of AI agents Explain the key features of Azure AI Agent Service Build an agent using the Azure AI Agent Service Integrate an agent in the Azure AI Agent Service into your own application Format: Livestream Topic: Core AI Language: English Details Integrate custom tools into your agent Built-in tools are useful, but they may not meet all your needs. In this module, learn how to extend the capabilities of your agent by integrating custom tools for your agent to use. Learning objectives By the end of this module, you'll be able to: Describe the benefits of using custom tools with your agent. Explore the different options for custom tools. Build an agent that integrates custom tools using the Azure AI Agent Service. Format: Livestream Topic: Core AI Language: English Details Develop an AI agent with Semantic Kernel - Training | Microsoft Learn By the end of this module, you'll be able to: Use Semantic Kernel to connect to an Azure AI Foundry project Create Azure AI Agent Service agents using the Semantic Kernel SDK Integrate plugin functions with your AI agent Develop an AI agent with Semantic Kernel Format: Livestream Topic: Core AI Language: English Details Details Orchestrate a multi-agent solution using Semantic Kernel Learn how to use the Semantic Kernel SDK to develop your own AI agents that can collaborate for a multi-agent solution. Learning objectives By the end of this module, you'll be able to: Build AI agents using the Semantic Kernel SDK Develop multi-agent solutions Create custom selection and termination strategies for agent collaboration Format: Livestream Topic: Core AI Language: English DetailsGlobal AI Bootcamp
Are you ready to embark on an exhilarating journey into the world of Artificial Intelligence? The Global AI Bootcamp invites tech students and AI developers to join a vibrant global community of innovators, data scientists, and AI experts. This annual event is your gateway to cutting-edge advancements, where you can learn, share, and collaborate on the latest AI technologies. From Saturday, March 1st to Friday, March 7th, we have an action-packed schedule featuring 29 bootcamps across 19 countries. With the rapid evolution of AI shaping various industries, there's no better time to elevate your skills and make a meaningful impact in this dynamic field. Attendees can expect hands-on workshops, insightful sessions, and numerous networking opportunities designed for all skill levels. Don't miss this chance to be part of the future of AI! Why You Should Attend With 135 bootcamps happening in 44 countries this year, the Global AI Bootcamp is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the AI community. Attendees can expect: Hands-on Workshops: Engage with practical sessions to build and deploy AI models. Expert Talks: Learn from industry leaders about the latest trends and technologies. Networking Opportunities: Connect with peers, mentors, and potential collaborators. Career Growth: Discover new career paths and enhance your professional skills. In-Person Bootcamps Experience the energy and collaboration of our in-person events. Mark your calendars for these dates: Germany, Hamburg | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link India, Hyderabad | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link Nigeria, Jos | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link Canada, Toronto | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link United States, Houston, TX | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link India, Ahmedabad | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link Spain, Málaga | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link India, Chennai | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link United Kingdom, London | Thursday, March 6th | Event Link United States, Milwaukee | Friday, March 7th | Event Link United States, Saint Louis | Friday, March 7th | Event Link Canada, Quebec City | Friday, March 7th | Event Link Poland, Kraków | Friday, March 7th | Event Link Virtual Bootcamps Can't join us in person? No problem! Participate in our virtual events from the comfort of your home: Angola, Luanda | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link Ghana, Accra | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link Netherlands, Amsterdam | Tuesday, March 4th | Event Link Colombia, Bogotá - RockAI | Thursday, March 6th | Event Link Bangladesh, Dhaka | Friday, March 7th | Event Link Colombia, Bogotá | Friday, March 7th | Event Link Hybrid Bootcamps Enjoy the flexibility of hybrid events offering both in-person and virtual participation: India, Palava | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link Spain, Madrid | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link India, Mumbai | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link India, Mumbai - Dear Azure AI | Saturday, March 1st | Event Link Bangladesh, Chattogram | Sunday, March 2nd | Event Link Pakistan, Lahore | Monday, March 3rd | Event Link Costa Rica, San José | Tuesday, March 4th | Event Link Hong Kong, Hong Kong | Wednesday, March 5th | Event Link Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur | Friday, March 7th | Event Link Bolivia, La Paz | Friday, March 7th | Event Link Artificial Intelligence is transforming industries across the globe. There's no better time than now to dive into AI and be at the forefront of innovation. Whether you're looking to start a career in AI or enhance your existing skills, the Global AI Bootcamp has something for everyone. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn, connect, and grow. Visit our website for more information and register for a bootcamp near you! 👉 Explore All Bootcamps Let's shape the future of AI together!Unlock the Future of Secure Authentication: Moving to Keyless Authentication with Managed Identity
Why Managed Identity? Traditional authentication methods often rely on keys, secrets, and passwords that can be easily compromised. Managed identity, on the other hand, provides a secure and seamless way to authenticate without the need for managing credentials. By leveraging managed identity, you can: Reduce the Risk of Compromise: As most security breaches start from identity-related issues, moving to a keyless authentication system significantly reduces the chances of such compromises. Simplify Credential Management: Managed identity eliminates the need for managing keys and secrets, making the authentication process more straightforward and less error-prone. Enhance Security: With managed identity, your applications are granted access to resources securely, without the risk of exposing sensitive credentials. Getting Started with Managed Identity To help you get started with managed identity, Microsoft offers comprehensive training modules for different programming languages. These modules cover the basics of using managed identity to authenticate to Azure OpenAI, providing you with the knowledge and skills needed to implement secure authentication in your applications. Available Microsoft Learn Training Modules: Introduction to using Managed Identity to authenticate to Azure OpenAI with .NET - Training | Microsoft Learn Introduction to Azure OpenAI Managed Identity Authentication with Java - Training | Microsoft Learn Introduction to Azure OpenAI Managed Identity Authentication with Python - Training | Microsoft Learn Introduction to Azure OpenAI Managed Identity Authentication with JavaScript - Training | Microsoft Learn Why Should Students Learn Managed Identity? As a student, learning about managed identity and keyless authentication is not just about enhancing your technical skills; it's about preparing for the future. Here are a few reasons why you should dive into managed identity: Stay Ahead in the Job Market: With cybersecurity being a top priority for organizations, having expertise in secure authentication methods like managed identity will make you a valuable asset to potential employers. Build Secure Applications: By implementing managed identity, you can build applications that are more secure, reliable, and less susceptible to breaches. Understand Modern Security Practices: Gaining knowledge about managed identity and keyless authentication will give you a deeper understanding of modern security practices and how to protect applications in today's digital landscape. Conclusion In conclusion, moving to keyless authentication through managed identity is a game-changer for securing applications. As students and future developers, embracing this technology will not only enhance your skills but also contribute to building a safer and more secure digital world. So, take the first step today by exploring the training modules and mastering the art of managed identity!Azure Digital Twins Microsoft Learn - Learning Pathway
The goal of the new learn path is to take the learner on a journey of creating an end-to-end industry based solution using ADT. The hands-on exercises leverage a manufacturing scenario, where learners will be using the Chocolate Manufacturing Factory example to complete the practical units and accomplish e2e solution building. Microsoft Azure learning path for developers: Develop with Azure Digital Twins.Get to know Copilot in OneDrive
Copilot brings the power of AI right into OneDrive to help you work more efficiently and effectively. And it’s now available on OneDrive for the web to all our Copilot licensed commercial users, marking a significant milestone in the way you work with files in OneDrive. So, it's time to get to know Copilot in OneDrive and what it can do for you. This article brings together a playlist of important recent resources to give you both the what, how, and why of bringing Copilot into the OneDrive experience.Kickoff the 2025 Imagine Cup: Unleash Your Innovation Potential!
Get ready to embark on an exciting journey with the 2025 Imagine Cup! :party_popper: Join us live to celebrate the launch of the new season and discover Microsoft’s premier global technology competition for student founders. This event is packed with valuable insights into the competition’s structure, goals, and benefits, helping you learn how to participate and succeed.
