Users will soon be able to operate the distilled models of DeepSeek R1 directly on Copilot+ PCs.
Microsoft has officially added DeepSeek R1 to its Azure AI Foundry and GitHub model catalog, marking a significant expansion in its AI ecosystem. This move enables businesses to integrate advanced AI solutions while ensuring security, reliability, and efficiency.
DeepSeek R1 Joins Azure AI Foundry
Microsoft announced in a blog post that DeepSeek R1 is now accessible through its enterprise-grade Azure AI Foundry, which currently hosts over 1,800 AI models. This addition reinforces Microsoft’s commitment to providing scalable AI tools for developers and enterprises.
“Azure AI Foundry lets businesses scale AI-powered applications with speed and security,” said Asha Sharma, corporate vice president of AI Platform at Microsoft.
Azure AI Foundry provides a robust infrastructure for AI deployment, featuring built-in model evaluation tools that allow users to test, benchmark, and implement AI applications efficiently. DeepSeek R1, known for its cost-effectiveness, enables developers to incorporate AI capabilities with minimal infrastructure investment.
Local Deployment on Copilot+ PCs and Windows GPUs
A key highlight of this integration is the upcoming availability of DeepSeek R1’s distilled models for local execution on Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella emphasized this capability during the company’s recent earnings call:
“Customers will soon be able to run DeepSeek R1’s distilled models locally on Copilot+ PCs, as well as on the vast ecosystem of GPUs available on Windows. Apart from Copilot+ PCs, the most robust AI workstation for local development is a Windows PC with WSL2, powered by NVIDIA RTX GPUs.”
This local deployment feature will enhance AI-powered applications by offering developers flexibility and efficiency, allowing them to operate without relying entirely on cloud resources.
AI Safety and Compliance Measures
Microsoft has reiterated its commitment to AI safety and compliance by ensuring that DeepSeek R1 has undergone rigorous security assessments, including red teaming, automated behavior evaluations, and security reviews. Azure AI Content Safety integrates built-in content filtering mechanisms, with options for businesses to opt-out.
Additionally, the Safety Evaluation System enables businesses to test AI applications before deployment, ensuring that they align with ethical and operational standards.
How Developers Can Access DeepSeek R1
Developers interested in utilizing DeepSeek R1 can search for the model within the Azure AI Foundry catalog, review the model card, and deploy it to obtain an inference API and key. A dedicated playground environment allows users to test the model before integrating it into their applications.
DeepSeek R1 is also available on GitHub, where developers can access additional resources and integration guides. Microsoft has confirmed that future versions of the model will be released in distilled formats, further enhancing local deployment options on Copilot+ PCs.
Potential Intellectual Property Concerns
This announcement comes amid Microsoft and OpenAI’s ongoing investigation into whether the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek used OpenAI’s proprietary models to develop its open-source competitor. According to a recent report, OpenAI has found evidence suggesting that DeepSeek leveraged its outputs, raising concerns over potential intellectual property violations.
Despite these concerns, Microsoft remains focused on expanding its AI offerings and ensuring that businesses can access powerful, secure, and innovative AI models through its platforms.
With DeepSeek R1 now available on Azure and GitHub, Microsoft continues to solidify its position as a leader in the AI industry, providing developers with cutting-edge tools to drive innovation and scalability.
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