Microsoft is ramping up its artificial intelligence (AI) offerings by teaming up with several industry leaders to introduce small language models (SLMs) to its Azure AI catalog.
These industry-focused models, based on Microsoft’s Phi family of SLMs, tap into specific needs across various sectors, including healthcare, finance, and manufacturing. Satish Thomas, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of business and industry solutions, highlighted the potential of combining Microsoft Cloud with tailored industry capabilities for secure innovation. “We’re creating expansive scenarios for customers worldwide,” he noted, showcasing how their AI capabilities span from Microsoft Fabric to AI agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio and models in Azure AI Studio.
Users can find these models in the Azure AI model catalog to build custom applications or access them directly from Microsoft partners. For instance, Bayer’s ELY Crop Protection model aims to enhance sustainability and compliance in agriculture.
Siemens Digital Industries Software also contributed to the mix with a new copilot for its NX X software. This tool lets users ask natural language questions and tap into technical insights, helping CAD designers enhance their product development process.
In finance, Safir, a regulatory compliance tech firm under Fidelity Labs, plans to roll out four new models focused on compliance. These include a retail marketing compliance model, an image detection model for compliance in visuals, a risk interpretation model, and a language suggestion model to generate more compliant alternatives.
Rockwell Automation has introduced the FT Optix Food & Beverage model, designed to assist frontline workers in manufacturing. This model offers insights and knowledge about specific processes and equipment to support troubleshooting.
Additional innovations come from Cerence, which customizes SLMs for in-car software, and SightManager, which provides the Factory Namespace Manager to streamline factory data analysis and naming conventions.
