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.Foundry Fridays: Your Gateway to Azure AI Discovery
🎓 What Is Foundry Fridays? Every Friday at 1:30 PM ET, join the Azure AI Foundry Discord Community https://aka.ms/model-mondays/discord for a 30-minute live Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. It’s your chance to connect with the experts behind Azure AI—Principal PMs, researchers, and engineers—who are building the tools you’ll use in classrooms, hackathons, and real-world projects. Whether you're experimenting with model fine-tuning, curious about local inference, or diving into agentic workflows and open-source tooling, this is where your questions get answered live and unscripted. 💡 Why Students & Educators Should Join Direct Access to Experts Ask your questions live and get real-time insights from the people building Azure AI. Weekly Themes That Matter From model routing and MCP registries to SAMBA architectures, AI Agents, Model Router, Deployment Templates each week brings a new topic to explore. Community-Led Conversations Hosted by leaders like Nitya Narasimhan and Lee Stott, these sessions are interactive, inclusive, and designed to spotlight your questions. No Slides, Just Substance Skip the lectures—this is about real talk, real tech, and real learning. 📚 Bonus Learning: Model Mondays Want even more? Catch up on the Model Mondays series on demand at https://aka.ms/model-mondays and get ready for Season 3, streaming every Monday at 1:30 PM ET. 🚀 How to Join Join the Discord: https://aka.ms/model-mondays/discord Find the AMA: Check the #community-calls and #model-mondays channels or look for pinned events. Ask Anything: Bring your questions, ideas, or just listen in. No registration needed. 💬 Final Thoughts Whether you're coding your first AI project, mentoring students, or researching the next big thing listen and ask the experts questions and hear from the wider community. Foundry Fridays is your space to learn, connect, and grow. So grab your headphones, jump into Discord, and let’s shape the future of AI—together. 🗓️ Fridays | 1:30 PM ET 📍 Azure AI Foundry Discord 🔗 https://aka.ms/model-mondays/discordAzure Kubernetes Service Automatic: Fast and frictionless Kubernetes for all
AKS Automatic simplifies Kubernetes by offering a fully managed, opinionated experience that abstracts away from infrastructure complexity, while keeping the full power of Kubernetes at your fingertips. Learn how production-ready clusters and automated infrastructure operations can accelerate your time to delivery and simplify operations for you! Check out the announcement blog here!Transform business process with agentic business applications (Asia)
October 1-2, 2025 | 7:30 AM – 10:30 AM ASIA (IST) Overview This bootcamp is designed to equip you with the AI skills and clarity needed to harness the power of Copilot Studio and AI Agents in Dynamics 365. Participants will learn what AI agents are, why they matter in Dynamics 365, and how to design and build agents that address customer needs today while preparing for the AI-native ERP and CRM future. Building from the fundamentals of Copilot Studio and its integration across Dynamics 365 applications, we’ll explore how first-party agents are built, why Microsoft created them, and where their current limitations open opportunities for partner-led innovation. We’ll then expand into third-party agent design and extensibility, showing how partners can create differentiated solutions that deliver unique value. Finally, we will provide a forward-looking perspective on Microsoft’s strategy with Model Context Protocol (MCP), Agent-to-Agent (A2A) orchestration, and AI-native business applications - inspiring partners to create industry-specific agents that solve real customer pain points and showcase their expertise. Join this virtual event to accelerate your technical readiness journey on AI agents in Dynamics 365. Register today and mark your calendars to gain valuable insights from our Microsoft SMEs. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the latest developments and elevate your partnership with Microsoft Event prerequisites Participants should have some familiarity and work experience with the associated solutions. Additionally, we suggest having knowledge of the relevant role-based certification content (although passing the exam is not mandatory). You can find free self-paced learning content and technical documentation related to the workshop topics at Microsoft Learn. Earn a digital badge Attendees who participate in the live sessions of this workshop will earn a digital badge. These badges, which serve as a testament to your engagement and learning, can be conveniently accessed and shared through the Credly digital platform. Please note that accessing on-demand content does not meet the criteria for earning a badge. REGISTER TODAY!Transform business process with agentic business applications (Americas)
September 30 - October 1, 2025 | 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM AMER (PDT) Overview This bootcamp is designed to equip you with the AI skills and clarity needed to harness the power of Copilot Studio and AI Agents in Dynamics 365. Participants will learn what AI agents are, why they matter in Dynamics 365, and how to design and build agents that address customer needs today while preparing for the AI-native ERP and CRM future. Building from the fundamentals of Copilot Studio and its integration across Dynamics 365 applications, we’ll explore how first-party agents are built, why Microsoft created them, and where their current limitations open opportunities for partner-led innovation. We’ll then expand into third-party agent design and extensibility, showing how partners can create differentiated solutions that deliver unique value. Finally, we will provide a forward-looking perspective on Microsoft’s strategy with Model Context Protocol (MCP), Agent-to-Agent (A2A) orchestration, and AI-native business applications - inspiring partners to create industry-specific agents that solve real customer pain points and showcase their expertise. Join this virtual event to accelerate your technical readiness journey on AI agents in Dynamics 365. Register today and mark your calendars to gain valuable insights from our Microsoft SMEs. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the latest developments and elevate your partnership with Microsoft Event prerequisites Participants should have some familiarity and work experience with the associated solutions. Additionally, we suggest having knowledge of the relevant role-based certification content (although passing the exam is not mandatory). You can find free self-paced learning content and technical documentation related to the workshop topics at Microsoft Learn. Earn a digital badge Attendees who participate in the live sessions of this workshop will earn a digital badge. These badges, which serve as a testament to your engagement and learning, can be conveniently accessed and shared through the Credly digital platform. Please note that accessing on-demand content does not meet the criteria for earning a badge. REGISTER TODAY!Build expertise, earn recognition, and drive transformation with Microsoft skilling
At Microsoft, we know that every innovation journey starts with the right skills. Our goal is to make your skilling experience streamlined and effective, so you spend less time searching for resources and more time innovating. We have designed the Partner Skilling Hub as a central portal where you can build new capabilities, accelerate organizational growth, and learn how to set your solutions apart and create meaningful customer outcomes. With advanced search and filters by category, solution area, and skill level, you can quickly find live events, self-paced courses, and training opportunities tailored to your needs. Below are just some of the skilling resources available to you through this new portal so you can spend less time searching and more time innovating. Continue reading hereVirtual Event | Becoming Frontier: Pitch and land the AI transformation story
Join us for a hands-on training designed to sharpen your AI transformation pitch. Over three days, you will dive into Microsoft’s latest executive, platform, business services, and security conversations, learn how to bring the Copilot and agentic story to life, and practice landing it with impact. With expert-led sessions, practical pitch decks, and live Q&A, you will leave with the confidence to guide customers through their AI journey and earn a shareable digital badge along the way. Americas | Tuesday, October 14, 9:00 AM - Thursday, October 16, 12:00 PM PDT Asia | Wednesday, October 15, 9:00 AM - Friday, October 17, 12:00 PM IST EMEA | Wednesday, October 15, 9:00 AM - Friday, October 17, 12:00 PM BST Register today!Join the Movement at Azure Dev Summit!
Azure Dev Summit is a chance for you to join a community of developers, architects, and tech leaders building with Azure, .NET, and Microsoft AI. This isn’t just another conference. It is a Microsoft-sponsored celebration of innovation, learning, and connection — and we’re bringing some of the most inspiring voices in tech to the stage. Find out more about the speakers at Azure Dev Summit and make sure to register! https://azuredevsummit.com/Partner Blog | Build in-demand capabilities with Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy
Continuous learning is essential for organizations using cloud and AI technologies to maintain a competitive edge. To help Microsoft partners stay at the forefront of their industries, we are pleased to share the latest updates to our partner skilling initiatives. These changes are part of an ongoing effort to simplify and enhance the skilling process, ensuring that partners like you continue to deliver the innovative solutions customers need. Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy went worldwide June 1 As announced in March, Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy is a new, centralized skilling portal designed to help sales professionals in partner organizations boost their skills and position themselves as industry leaders. We built Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy as a unified hub that delivers a learning framework for partner skilling—simplifying the experience and providing clear, structured guidance across sales, pre-sales, and customer deployment cycles to help you close deals and drive revenue. Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy launched globally on June 1, 2025, with a learning journey for Security called "Microsoft Sales Titan: Threat Protection." Designed to promote Microsoft Threat Protection SKUs, this offering provides sales teams with on-demand training sessions focused on understanding and articulating the value of Microsoft 365 E5 Security licenses. With Sales Titan: Threat Protection, members of your sales team can improve their ability to close deals and earn Microsoft accredited badges—which demonstrate their learnings to both clients and Microsoft. You can also gain access to supporting resources that help drive confident, informed customer conversations. This self-serve learning journey is now available to partners globally. Sales Titan, the first module in the Microsoft Titan Skilling Academy, will eventually integrate into our new skilling platform, launching this July. This unified environment consolidates each of our skilling platforms into a single, easy-to-access location. Continue reading hereGPT-5 in Azure AI Foundry: The future of AI apps and agents starts here
OpenAI’s GPT-5 is available today in Azure AI Foundry. GPT-5 adds advanced capabilities to support agentic workflows, complex code synthesis, and safer, more flexible integrations. Ideal for: Unified reasoning + chat for end-to-end problem solving Agentic task mastery with multi-step tool use and auditable decisions, Frontier coding with minimal prompting Developer controls for depth, speed, verbosity Free-form function calling (no rigid JSON schemas) Safer completions for sensitive prompts Learn more here!
