Introduction
Unit 1 of 8 · Module 1: Plan and prepare to develop AI solutions on Azure
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AI is now part of the job
Here's the thing: AI, and generative AI especially, isn't stuck in the research lab anymore, it's in everyday software. Customer support. Search. Document processing. Coding tools. So developers aren't being asked to add one clever feature anymore. They're being asked to ship complete AI solutions that actually hold up in production.
What an AI solution is made of
So what actually goes into one? Usually four things, working together. Machine learning models, which do the reasoning. AI services, which take care of jobs like vision, speech, and language. Prompt engineering, which shapes how those models behave. And your own custom code, which connects all of it and turns it into a real application.
Too many roads
Now, Azure gives you a lot of ways to build this. Multiple services, several tools, more than one framework, and they can often solve the same problem. That flexibility is great, but it's also exactly where projects stall. So before you commit, compare your options, and choose the combination that actually fits your scenario.
Principles that hold it up
Picking the technology is only half of the plan. Successful AI projects also rest on principles and practices. How your team works. How you test and monitor what the model produces. And how you make sure the system behaves responsibly. Those decisions are far easier to make at the start than to retrofit later.
Where this module goes
Here's how this module is laid out. First, the common AI capabilities you can build into an application. Then Microsoft Foundry, a comprehensive platform for AI development on Azure, along with Foundry Tools. After that, the developer tools and SD Ks you'll actually work with. And finally, responsible AI. Let's start planning.
Facts from Microsoft's documentation: What is Microsoft Foundry?; What are Foundry Tools? (CC BY 4.0), rewritten in Loop's own words and examples. Narration, animation, and quiz by Loop. Microsoft, Azure, and Microsoft Foundry are trademarks of Microsoft. Loop is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.