Microsoft has announced the launch of Windows AI Studio, a new platform aimed at developers who prefer to work locally rather than in the cloud. The platform will be an extension to Visual Studio Code and will bring together AI development tools and models from Azure AI Studio.
One of the main features of Windows AI Studio is its ability to allow developers to fine-tune and deploy small language models (SLMs) for local use in Windows apps. This will enable developers to create and deploy AI models directly on their own machines, without the need for internet connectivity.
While Windows AI Studio is designed for local development, Microsoft also hopes that developers will consider the Azure option as well. This would allow for hybrid scenarios where models can be run in the public cloud, locally, or a combination of both. This flexibility is intended to cater to developers who may have different preferences or requirements for their projects.
The upcoming Visual Studio Code extension for Windows AI Studio is expected to provide a familiar and seamless interface for AI development. This means that developers can focus on coding while Microsoft takes care of the setup and configuration of the developer environment. This will save time and effort, allowing developers to be more productive.
In terms of available models, the initial offering of Windows AI Studio will include Llama 2 variants and Microsoft’s Phi models. These models have been optimized for Windows GPUs and NPUs to provide optimal performance. In the future, Microsoft plans to highlight state-of-the-art models that are further optimized for these hardware platforms.
Overall, the launch of Windows AI Studio represents an important step for Microsoft in the AI development space. By catering to developers who prefer to work locally, the platform offers greater flexibility and convenience. With the added integration with Azure AI Studio and support for hybrid scenarios, developers have even more options for developing and deploying their AI models.
