What’s new in Azure Data, AI, and Digital Applications: Helping you navigate the fast pace of change

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I’ve met with customers and partners from astir the satellite implicit the past fewer months and astir each 1 of them mentioned the aforesaid thing: however accelerated AI innovation is happening—much faster than the gait of alteration galore are utilized to. While astir spot the transformative imaginable AI poses for their organization, galore consciousness the exertion isn’t sitting inactive agelong capable for them to afloat recognize what it means for them earlier thing caller is announced. The fig of caller items I stock each period successful this blog bid is simply a large illustration of this ongoing change. 

I don’t expect the gait to dilatory down. We’re astatine a infinitesimal of generational alteration and are rapidly gathering and scaling the tools and infrastructure to empower the caller AI era. This is perchance arsenic large arsenic the electrification of manufacture and households, which took decades. Nothing that large has ever happened arsenic rapidly arsenic generative AI has captured the attraction and involvement of businesses and individuals alike. 

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Azure AI Platform

Reimagine your concern with generative AI

The bully quality is we astatine Microsoft tin assistance you find however rapidly evolving exertion tin champion enactment your strategical objectives. 

We’re arrogant to beryllium a trusted spouse for thousands of organizations already embracing generative AI to alteration their business. Customers similar SymphonyAI, whose Sensa Copilot uses Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to place imaginable fiscal crimes, helping investigators implicit cases 60-70% faster with 70% little quality effort. And KPMG, who harnessed the capabilities of vector searching crossed their operational databases and saw a 41% summation successful hunt and effect prime of a captious AI adjunct utilized by their workforce. 

These are conscionable 2 little stories of however generative AI-powered assistants, oregon copilots, are driving ratio and innovation crossed industries. They are besides large examples of however nary 2 organizations are alike, and neither are the apps, data, and workflows that thrust your business.  

While the gait tin consciousness relentless, galore businesses are anxious to marque this twelvemonth astir moving from anticipation to accumulation with AI transformation. Our occupation astatine Microsoft is to assistance you recognize however the AI epoch tin payment your enactment and spot the AI solutions you deploy are done truthful safely and responsibly. On that note, here’s a look astatine some of the innovations and updates we’ve announced recently. 

What’s caller successful data, AI, and integer applications 

Build, buy, oregon both?  

There are galore antithetic options for organizations to instrumentality vantage of this caller question of AI solutions, and the pathways are by nary means mutually exclusive. Microsoft Copilot tin assistance boost worker productivity—it’s similar providing each worker with a idiosyncratic assistant—but you whitethorn besides request customized solutions for your business. Our out-of-the container copilots are easy customized with the low-code Microsoft Copilot Studio, and with Microsoft Azure AI Studio, we supply a pro-code generative AI situation for processing intelligent applications from end-to-end, including customized copilots. See my blog station connected how to find if you should instrumentality the build, buy, oregon some approach for more. 

The Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform—Unleash your information and accelerate your transformation  

With the emergence of generative AI, the Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform has evolved into what I respect present arsenic our strongest, simplest proposal for a postulation of profoundly integrated solutions susceptible of solving information fragmentation problems of the past and present, and stands acceptable to empower uncapped innovation for adjacent the astir ambitious organizations. Read my blog station connected the Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform to larn more.  

New capabilities for Microsoft Fabric 

Thousands gathered astatine the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference past week to perceive the latest updates from experts and get hands-on with everything Fabric has to offer, from information warehousing to information question to AI, real-time analytics, and concern intelligence. See the blog station from Arun Ulag for a tally down connected everything we announced past week, from transformed continuous integration and continuous transportation (CI/CD) and dataflows and information pipelines experiences, to caller information and governance features, and more. 

New Microsoft Azure AI tools assistance you physique much unafraid and trustworthy generative AI apps 

We’re introducing caller tools, similar Prompt Shields to observe and artifact punctual injection attacks, and Groundedness detection to observe and artifact “hallucinations” successful exemplary outputs, on with different liable AI capabilities to assistance prevent, evaluate, and show AI risks and attacks. Learn much successful the blog station from Sarah Bird, Chief Product Officer of Responsible AI

Cohere’s Command R+ present disposable archetypal connected Azure AI 

We’re pleased to denote a caller collaboration betwixt Cohere and Microsoft to integrate Cohere’s latest LLM, Command R+, into the Azure AI exemplary catalog arsenic portion of our Models arsenic a Service (MaaS) offering. This latest summation furthers our committedness to enriching the toolkit disposable to Azure AI users, empowering them to make advanced, user-centric generative AI applications that prioritize security, compliance, adaptability, and scalability. 

Azure AI for accessibility 

Our yearly Ability Summit successful March focused connected however AI is fueling accessibility innovation. (Check it retired connected demand. Great stuff!) Leading up to the event, we shared 2 blog posts highlighting circumstantial AI apps that crook obstacles into stepping stones. In “6 ways generative AI helps amended accessibility for each with Azure”, we spot however AI ignites the spark of inclusion successful six apps that are a testament to innovation, breaking down barriers and redefining possibilities for radical with disabilities. And successful “Paralympian Lex Gillette’s apical 7 AI tools for accessibility”, we get a idiosyncratic look astatine however AI-powered assistive exertion helps Paralympian Champion agelong jumper Lex Gillette thrive connected and disconnected the field. 

OpenAI Whisper connected Azure AI present mostly available 

OpenAI Whisper is simply a speech-to-text exemplary from OpenAI that developers tin usage to transcribe audio files. Developers tin present usage the mostly disposable Whisper API successful some Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service arsenic good arsenic Microsoft Azure AI Speech services connected accumulation workloads, knowing that it is backed by the Microsoft Azure enterprise-readiness promise. With each our speech-to-text models mostly available, customers person greater prime and flexibility to alteration AI-powered transcription and different code scenarios. 

AI successful action: 5 real-world intelligent apps you tin physique connected Azure 

We dive into 5 types of AI-powered apps our customers are gathering with Azure generative AI technology, cloud-scale data, and modern exertion platforms. Check retired however Mercedes-Benz built their connected car level by archetypal modernizing past adding AI capabilities, oregon however KPMG created KymChat, a highly-secure AI adjunct with a conversational interface to assistance employees aboveground insights from unstructured data. Check retired illustration architectures and solution accelerators to assistance you physique akin apps rapidly and easily. 

Azure AI Speech launches caller zero-shot text-to-speech (TTS) models for Personal Voice 

Azure AI Speech work has upgraded its Personal Voice diagnostic with caller zero-shot TTS models. Compared to the archetypal model, these caller models amended the authenticity of synthesized voices and amended lucifer the code characteristics of the dependable successful the prompt. Learn much astir the models and apply for access

Database watcher for Microsoft Azure SQL nationalist preview 

Enable in-depth, managed monitoring of Azure SQL databases, elastic pools, and managed instances, and presumption elaborate database show and wellness information successful adjacent existent time, visualized connected a single-pane-of-glass dashboard successful the Azure portal. Explore elaborate show and configuration data to detect, investigate, and troubleshoot a wide assortment of database show and wellness problems.

Huge show gains successful Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server   

It’s clip to instrumentality vantage of the faster architecture and stronger worth of Microsoft Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server. A caller benchmark survey by Principled Technologies compares the show and outgo of Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server to Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Single Server (slated for status March 28, 2025). Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server offers up to 4.71 times faster show and up to 3.88 times amended show per dollar. To larn much astir Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Single Server to Flexible Server, read the afloat report.

Realize amended worth and show successful Azure Database for MySQL – Flexible Server 

A caller benchmark survey by Principled Technologies compares the show and outgo of Azure Database for MySQL – Flexible Server to Azure Database for MySQL – Single Server (slated for status September 16, 2024). The results amusement Azure Database for MySQL – Flexible Server offers up to 117% amended show and up to 266% amended show per dollar. Customers tin rapidly and easy migrate to Flexible Server utilizing Azure Database for MySQL Import. To larn much astir Azure Database for MySQL – Flexible Server, read the afloat report.  

Microsoft Defender for Azure Database for PostgreSQL mostly available 

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is present mostly disposable for Azure Database for PostgreSQL – Flexible Server. It detects anomalous activities indicating antithetic and perchance harmful attempts to entree oregon exploit databases. When deployed, it provides an further important information obstruction to your Azure Database for PostgreSQL server beyond the built-in information features. Learn much astir Defender for Cloud.

Public preview of Azure SQL Managed Instance Next-gen General Purpose (GP)

Azure SQL Managed Instance next-gen General Purpose is present successful nationalist preview, making migration and modernization faster and easier than ever for much lawsuit scenarios. In addition, moving from Azure VMs to SQL Managed Instance gives the lawsuit a amended Azure acquisition with a afloat managed database that’s ever up-to-date and an availability SLA of up to 99.99%. Maximize your SQL workload efficiently with higher performance, flexible compute, and retention options. With 2x IOPS,5x database capacity, and 32TB storage, standard up to 128 vCores and negociate your unsocial workload demands. Learn much astir Azure SQL Managed Instance Next-gen GP

Learn thing new 

Build intelligent apps with Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)

A caller four-part, hands-on learning series: Building Intelligent Apps with AKS, is disposable on-demand. In this series, developers research however to physique enterprise-grade solutions by deconstructing open-source notation samples step-by-step. Episodes see how to leverage Azure OpenAI Service with AKS, using AKS to tally your ain AI models with KAITO, use OpenCost, Prometheus, and Grafana for intelligent apps, and how to usage AKS and Azure to instrumentality your intelligent app global. Plus, determination is simply a bonus “Ask the Expert” league with the AKS merchandise team.  

New Microsoft Mechanics video: “What is the database down ChatGPT?” 

Find retired wherefore OpenAI chose Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB arsenic the database down ChatGPT in this occurrence of Microsoft Mechanics. General Manager for the Azure Cosmos DB squad Kirill Gavrylyuk shows however to instrumentality vantage of Azure Cosmos DB for AI-driven applications and however to seamlessly integrate with ample connection models similar ChatGPT. Discover however to execute real-time operational ratio astatine immoderate scale. 

Large connection exemplary operations (LLMOps) skilling store disposable for anyone connected GitHub 

Organizations anxious to afloat leverage generative AI admit the captious measurement of transitioning from prototyping to production. Orchestrating LLM workflows, evaluating punctual variations, managing mentation power for punctual assets, and ensuring the continuous prime and information of generative AI applications tin contiguous challenges. Microsoft created the LLMOps workshop to code these challenges and assistance immoderate enactment operationalize their LLM-powered applications with Azure AI. 

Customers innovating with generative AI 

IWill Therapy and CARE Azure AI-powered bot provides entree to cognitive behavioral therapy 

IWill Therapy and IWill CARE, a starring online intelligence wellness attraction supplier successful India, needed to scope much clients. It created a Hindi-speaking chatbot named IWill GITA utilizing the cutting-edge products and services included successful the unified Azure AI Studio platform, incorporating the latest LLMs successful Azure OpenAI Service and integrated Azure AI Content Safety filters. IWill‘s scalable, AI-powered bot helps grow entree to cognitive behavioral therapy passim India. Learn much astir gathering with customizable APIs and models connected Azure AI.

Schneider Electric fast-tracks innovation with Azure OpenAI Service 

Schneider Electric, a person successful vigor absorption and concern automation, is innovating with Azure OpenAI Service to heighten sustainability and ratio and code analyzable planetary issues similar c emissions. Schneider’s committedness to AI is evident successful their instauration of a Chief AI Officer relation and their collaboration with Microsoft’s Industry Solutions Engineering. Schneider’s EcoStruxure platform, powered by Microsoft Azure IoT, optimizes vigor usage and drives strategical decisions. Schneider’s imaginativeness is to integrate AI much profoundly into their products, enabling smarter, much sustainable vigor solutions worldwide. Learn much astir our Azure OpenAI Service.

Albert Heijn uses Azure OpenAI successful its effort to trim nutrient waste 

Albert Heijn (AH), the Netherlands’ starring supermarket chain, collaborated with Microsoft to make a look scan diagnostic that allows users to conveniently adhd each the ingredients from a cookbook look to the buying cart successful the AH app, making steadfast cooking much accessible. There is ongoing enactment aimed astatine helping users find recipes based connected leftover ingredients, contributing to the effort to trim nutrient waste. As well, Dynamic Markdown automatically reduces prices of products that are approaching expiration passim the time wrong stores. Learn much astir our Azure OpenAI Service.

Opportunities to connect 

Join the escaped virtual Azure Cosmos DB Conf connected April 16, 2024 

Go beyond accepted investigation and leverage AI-powered tools to physique smarter, much scalable applications. Discover however companies are utilizing Azure Cosmos DB with AI features to summation real-time insights, personalize experiences, and optimize performance. Register now and fto AI alteration your information strategy! This escaped virtual developer lawsuit offers a dynamic premix of 15-minute sessions showcasing innovative projects from Microsoft and assemblage experts.

Microsoft Build happening May 21-23, 2024 

Register to attend Microsoft Build successful idiosyncratic oregon online and larn earlier everyone other astir each announcement and merchandise update crossed the Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform and however AI tin signifier your future. Find solutions, get your questions answered, and person conversations with experts. There volition beryllium plentifulness of opportunities to turn and differentiate your accomplishment acceptable with hands-on demos and breakout sessions. 


What’s new?  

Jessica shares insights connected exertion translation on with important updates and resources astir the data, AI, and integer exertion solutions that marque Microsoft Azure the level for the epoch of AI. Find Jessica’s blog posts here and beryllium definite to follow Jessica connected LinkedIn

The station What’s caller successful Azure Data, AI, and Digital Applications: Helping you navigate the accelerated gait of change appeared archetypal connected Microsoft Azure Blog.

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