I do know you’ve got heard of gamification, however have you ever ever heard of festification? That is what Microsoft did final month and is constant till Could 28, with the Microsoft AI Expertise Fest. It is slightly odd, nevertheless it additionally appears prefer it may be a heck of lots of enjoyable. And you continue to three full weeks to take part.
Free AI coaching for everybody
Microsoft’s AI Expertise Fest presents programs which can be open for all ability ranges. You possibly can be taught early phases of the teachings should you’re new to AI, or work on deeper matters should you’re extra accustomed to AI ideas. Though there are tiers of studying, it is packaged as a single expertise. You possibly can work via any or all the classes as a part of one unified course.
Classes can be found in Albanian, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese language, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, World, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Macedonian, Mandarin Chinese language, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Simplified Chinese language, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
Sadly, conversational Klingon will not be on supply.
However there’s much more, together with hackathons, self-paced studying, challenges, group boards and meetups, and even (is that this actually a shock?) a chance for Microsoft’s companions to pitch their AI-related coaching and associated wares.
For these getting began with AI, there are classes like Utilizing AI for on a regular basis duties. This lesson will enable you “Perceive generative AI and establish methods to make use of AI at residence and at work. Write efficient prompts and discover useful sources.”
For instance of the extra superior matters, you possibly can take a course in Microsoft Cloth, Microsoft’s information analytics platform. The problem helps you put together for the DP-700 certification. Throughout Expertise Fest, the course is free, however should you do need to change into licensed, that is one thing you will must pay for outdoor the Expertise Fest surroundings, and it is roughly $165.
Register now
Register on the Microsoft AI Expertise Fest registration web page. It is free coaching on a sizzling subject from a well-respected firm, so it is undoubtedly price testing.
Prizes and reductions
For those who do not need to pay for certifications, you could be in luck. For those who enter the Microsoft AI Expertise Fest Problem Sweepstakes (one other identify I could not make up), you might win one in all 50,000 free certification vouchers awarded throughout weekly drawings.
GitHub is providing a 50% low cost code for GitHub’s latest certification examination, GitHub Copilot. When you end the GitHub Be taught module, you will be given a reduction code, which shall be legitimate till Could 28, 2025. To be sure to do not dilly or dally, you will need to full the examination by June 30, 2025.
My experiences with Expertise Fest
I dug into a couple of of the lessons. Once you register, you will get an extended record of lessons and trainings. I checked out three of them. I began with Minecraft Schooling – AI Adventurers as a result of my mates say I’ve the maturity of a 12-year-old. It was a brief sequence of movies. All of them have been charming and really nicely suited to children. In case you have a toddler and also you need to clarify AI, it is a excellent place to begin.
Subsequent up was Constructing functions with GitHub Copilot agent mode. This one is a 45-minute YouTube video that takes you thru the complete stack improvement course of of making a health tracker app utilizing GitHub Copilot’s new agent mode.
The Microsoft presenter, Chris Noring, confirmed off Agent mode and demonstrated constructing the app utilizing VS Code in GitHub Codespaces. I actually preferred how he walked via extra than simply the AI course of and built-in it in with React, Django, and a MongoDB database. Very informative, all in about 45 minutes.
The third class I took was AI for Organizational Leaders, produced by LinkedIn Studying. Chances are you’ll not have the ability to get entry to this except you are available both by way of your LinkedIn account or the Expertise Fest.
It is a fast 57-minute class on the small print of AI expertise, the enterprise implications of generative AI, the place AI suits into your enterprise technique, and an important part on pitfalls, considerations, and limits of AI expertise. Every of the 5 most important chapters is punctuated by a brief quiz, and there is a 10-question closing examination. The result’s a pleasant certificates, appropriate for framing. I paid no payment to get the certificates, which can also be cool.
An attention-grabbing observe is that most of the lessons and trainings listed in Expertise Fest aren’t gated, so you are able to do them even after the Expertise Fest ended. The Minecraft sequence, for instance, is reachable by anybody with the hyperlink, as is the GitHub YouTube video.
A Guinness World Document
Microsoft started the Expertise Fest occasion in April with a giant purpose: to win a world file. They usually did it, too. The earlier holder for the title of “most customers to take an internet multi-level synthetic intelligence lesson in 24 hours” was GUVI Geek Community Non-public Restricted in collaboration with the Authorities of Uttar Pradesh, India, who pulled in 46,045 on-line individuals.
Microsoft and all of the Expertise Fest individuals beat that with a complete of 126,151 individuals. Jeana Jorgensen, Company Vice President, Microsoft Studying stated, “The file is a tribute to each one who is investing their time and power to be taught a brand new AI ability or assist others construct their AI experience.”
Are you planning on registering for the AI Expertise Fest? Are there some AI abilities you need to enhance? Tell us within the feedback under.
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