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 a little bit odd, but it surely additionally appears prefer it is likely to be a heck of a variety of enjoyable. And you continue to three full weeks to take part.
Free AI coaching for everybody
Microsoft’s AI Expertise Fest gives programs which can be open for all talent ranges. You possibly can study early levels of the teachings if you happen to’re new to AI, or work on deeper matters if you happen to’re extra aware of AI ideas. Though there are tiers of studying, it is packaged as a single expertise. You possibly can work by 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, International, 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 just isn’t on provide.
However there’s much more, together with hackathons, self-paced studying, challenges, neighborhood boards and meetups, and even (is that this actually a shock?) a possibility 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 assist you to “Perceive generative AI and establish methods to make use of AI at residence and at work. Write efficient prompts and discover useful assets.”
For example of the extra superior matters, you may take a course in Microsoft Cloth, Microsoft’s knowledge analytics platform. The problem helps you put together for the DP-700 certification. Throughout Expertise Fest, the course is free, however if you happen to do need to grow to be licensed, that is one thing you will must pay for out of doors the Expertise Fest atmosphere, 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 positively value trying out.
Prizes and reductions
Should you do not need to pay for certifications, chances are you’ll be in luck. Should you enter the Microsoft AI Expertise Fest Problem Sweepstakes (one other title I could not make up), you possibly can win certainly one of 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 can be legitimate till Could 28, 2025. To be sure you do not dilly or dally, you need to full the examination by June 30, 2025.
My experiences with Expertise Fest
I dug into a number of of the lessons. If you register, you will get an extended listing of lessons and trainings. I checked out three of them. I began with Minecraft Training – AI Adventurers as a result of my pals say I’ve the maturity of a 12-year-old. It was a brief sequence of movies. All of them had been charming and really properly suited to children. When you have a toddler and also you need to clarify AI, this can be a excellent place to start out.
Subsequent up was Constructing purposes with GitHub Copilot agent mode. This one is a 45-minute YouTube video that takes you thru the complete stack growth 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 favored how he walked by 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. It’s possible you’ll not have the ability to get entry to this until you are available both through your LinkedIn account or the Expertise Fest.
It is a fast 57-minute class on the main points of AI know-how, the enterprise implications of generative AI, the place AI matches into your corporation technique, and an important part on pitfalls, issues, and limits of AI know-how. Every of the 5 major chapters is punctuated by a brief quiz, and there is a 10-question remaining examination. The result’s a pleasant certificates, appropriate for framing. I paid no charge to get the certificates, which can be cool.
An attention-grabbing be aware is that lots 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 File
Microsoft started the Expertise Fest occasion in April with an enormous aim: to win a world report. They usually did it, too. The earlier holder for the title of “most customers to take a web based 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 mentioned, “The report is a tribute to each one that is investing their time and vitality to study a brand new AI talent 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 beneath.
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