On Wednesday, Microsoft announced the integration of the newly launched DeepSeek-R1 artificial intelligence model into its Azure AI Foundry and GitHub platforms. This reasoning-oriented AI model is now available for users of these technologies. The Redmond-based company emphasized that it has performed thorough safety evaluations to confirm the model’s suitability for both personal and commercial applications. Furthermore, Microsoft plans to introduce optimized versions of the R1 model to Copilot+ PC users through the AI Toolkit.
Microsoft Brings DeepSeek-R1 to Azure AI Foundry, GitHub
In a recent blog entry, the tech giant revealed that the DeepSeek-R1 AI model is now accessible in the model catalogue of Azure AI Foundry and GitHub. Azure AI Foundry is an enterprise-centric platform designed for developers to create, assess, and enhance generative AI applications along with custom copilots.
Asha Sharma, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of AI Platform, commented on the development, stating, “One of the key advantages of using DeepSeek R1 or any other model on Azure AI Foundry is the speed at which developers can experiment, iterate, and integrate AI into their workflows.”
The post further elaborated that the company has conducted comprehensive red teaming and safety evaluations of the R1 model, which included automated assessments of its behavior and extensive security scrutiny. Microsoft aims to address and mitigate possible risks related to the model’s use. Additionally, Azure AI Foundry offers enhanced safety measures through its Content Safety filtering system and the Safety Evaluation System.
Users interested in the DeepSeek-R1 model can locate it in the model catalogue. Once identified, they can open the model card and select the deploy option, which will provide them with the necessary inference application programming interface (API) to operate the model.
Distilled DeepSeek-R1 Coming to Copilot+ PCs Users
In a separate blog post, Microsoft announced plans to offer optimized versions of DeepSeek-R1 for Copilot+ PC users. The initial release will be compatible with Snapdragon X-powered devices, followed by support for the Intel Core Ultra 200V chipset and additional models. The first iteration to be released will be the DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-1.5B model, available through the AI Toolkit. Later, the 7B and 14B variants will also be introduced.
