Category Archives: Artificial Intelligence

#MSBuild Announcements: Making your AI Easier with updates to Azure Machine Learning, #MLOps, or #DevOps for Machine Learning

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I’ve been using Azure Machine Learning for some time, and I’m excited about the new possibilities with the new updates to Azure Machine Learning to make it easier for AI novices to build, train and deploy machine learning models. I believe in the power of AI, and I believe that everyone should get a chance to use it.

Microsoft are helping businesses to have easy access to AI, from conception to modelling through to business value creation and sustainability by making it production-ready. Azure Machine Learning helps data scientists and developers build and train AI models faster, then easily deploy those models to the cloud or the edge. By simplifying AI, it makes it easier to derisk to get started with it.

Microsoft have announced a new automated machine learning user interface which is zero-cde, meaning that you create your models visually by dragging and dropping. I’m also pleased to be delivering a Build session on Wednesday at 2pm, where I get to show off the new machine learning notebooks for code-first model development.

Right now, these capabilities are available in preview, so why not head over and have a play?

There are also new capabilities to help you to transition your models to production, at scale. New MLOps, or DevOps for Machine Learning capabilities, simplifies the end-to-end lifecycle from model creation to deployment. In order to help make AI easier for the business to manage, it’s also possible to monitor it with Azure DevOps integration. If you want to know more about MLOps, check out this video with Seth Juarez (Twitter), who is fantastic at explaining things and the video is well worth checking out.

At Build, it was also announced that there is now high-speed inferencing from cloud to edge. This enables low-latency and lowcost inferencing with the general availability of hardware-accelerated models that run on FGPAs in Azure. This capability is also available in preview in Data Box edge. ONNX Runtime support for  NVIDIA TensorRT and Intel nGraph enables high-speed inferencing on NVIDIA and Intel chipsets.

To summarise, Microsoft are helping businesses to have easy access to AI, from conception to modelling through to business value creation and sustainability by making it production-ready. Azure Machine Learning helps data scientists and developers build and train AI models faster, then easily deploy those models to the cloud or the edge.
The updates in Azure Machine Learning are all currently available.

European Data Science & AI Awards 2019 Entry details

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The European DatSci & AI Awards in collaboration with the BDVA & CeADAR are now accepting entries! 

 I’m delighted to announce that I am on the Judging Panel this year, along with people that I admire.

10 Awards to compete in The European DatSci _ AI Awards 2019

The Awards recognizes the gold standard for Data Science & AI in Industry, Education and Social Responsibility and connects the Data Science community across Europe.

The competition is open teams and individuals within the Data Science and AI community from across Europe.

Entry deadline for the competition is on the 24th May 2019.The competition is free to enter, so check out the criteria here and feel free to share. If you are interested in learning more sign up to the DatSci mailing list.

Check out the 2019 Categories

  • Data Scientist of the Year
  • Data Science Technology Innovation of the Year
  • Best Application of AI of the Year
  • Best use of Data Science/AI for Customer Experience
  • Best use of Data Science/AI for Health & Wellbeing
  • Best use of Data Science/AI for Industry 4.0
  • Best use of Data Science in SME/Start Up
  • Best use of Data to Achieve Social Impact
  • Best technical advance in the field of Data Science/AI from a research organisation either in academia or industry
  • Data Science Student of the Year

Important dates for this year’s Awards: 

  • March 2019 – 24th May 2019: Entry window open
  • June 2019: Judging & Finalists selected
  • July 2019 – Finalists announced
  • w/c 22nd July 2019: Finalists presentations
  • 5th September 2019: Awards Day & Winners announced

Business Analytics MSc Scholarship Available: 
A central initiative of the European DatSci & AI Awards is paying it forward to the next generation of Data Science Talent, each year proceeds of ticket sales fund a Scholarship for full-time fees for a Level 9 MSc Business Analytics Student at UCD Smurfit School, Dublin. Check out details here. 

Good luck!

10 Awards to compete in The European DatSci _ AI Awards 2019

Custom Modules for #AzureML

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Have you seen the custom modules for AzureML yet?

One neat custom module that I’ve been using is the Create Scatterplot module, which uses ggplot2 and R in order to create a scatterplot. It’s possible to do this in AzureML already but it takes a few extra steps, and it is good to be able to reduce clicks in doing activities where possible.

It is useful for identifying outliers, which has been one of my areas of investigation in the current Data Science project that I’m currently leading.

How do you use custom modules?

  • Open the sample experiment in AzureML Studio
  • Add the module to a project so it is accessible to all of the experiments in the project
  • When you next open your experiment, you will see a new module group on the left hand side, called Custom. The Custom module will be in it.

And that’s it! You can now use the module in your experiment.

Want to learn how to skill up from #BusinessIntelligence to #ArtificialIntelligence? Join me at #Live360 in Florida

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I’ll be speaking at Live! 360 Orlando, December 2-7. Surrounded by your fellow industry professionals, Live! 360 provides you with immediately usable training and education that will keep you relevant in the workforce.

SPECIAL OFFER: As a speaker, I can extend $500 savings on the 5-day package. Register here: http://bit.ly/OSPK88Reg

OSPK88

Workshop: Moving from BI to AI: Artificial Intelligence Skills for Business Intelligence Professionals

Are you interested in reusing your existing BI skillset in order to add Artificial Intelligence to your skillset? Is your organisation interested in applying AI at a practical level? If so, this precon is for you.

In this precon, you will leverage your existing BI skillset to learn Microsoft’s latest AI technologies. You will learn AzureML, using your existing SSIS expertise. You will also learn R and Python, using your knowledge of SQL in SQL Server to get a working knowledge of these languages and their use in AI. You will use your conceptual knowledge of Business Intelligence to learn how to choose the right model for your AI work, and how to identify its value and validity.

Join this session to add AI to your organization’s technical capability, springboarding from skills that you already possess.

Workshop Agenda

Moving from BI to AI: Artificial Intelligence skills for Business Intelligence professionals

9.00am AI for the Enterprise

AI for the Enterprise

What is AI? Terminology that you need to know

Blueprint for AI in the Enterprise

Technology Overview; how do you choose the best tools to provide business value?

 

In this section, we will look at what you need to know to set the scene for AI for the enterprise. There is a very wide range of technologies in the AI space, and this section will introduce the key players and how they compare with one another, along with clear explanations on how they are used best. The session will also propose a blueprint for delivering successful AI projects, from the business perspective.

 

10.00am Get started with AI in Azure

  • Introduction to AzureML
  • Build simple machine learning models with Azure Machine Learning

In this section, you will get hands-on experience in practice building a machine learning model from end-to-end, using AzureML. This is intended to formalize some of the knowledge you have learned so far. In this section, you will ingest data, select a model, train and test a model, and make it production-ready. Then, you can visualize your results in Power BI.

11.30 Selecting your model in AI

An exploration of models in AI

Selecting models in AI

Evaluating models in AI

In this section, we will cover AI models in detail. We will look at the models themselves, their differences and similarities, and how to choose between the models. We will also look at ways of evaluating models.

12.30 – 1.30 Lunch

1.30 Working with Microsoft ML Server and R

  • Fundamentals of R
  • Microsoft ML Server
  • Using R with Microsoft ML Server

In this section, we will cover the fundamentals of R, and how we can use it to create robust, production models using Microsoft ML Server. R is a first class citizen in Microsoft’s Data Platform offerings, and it touches other technologies, such as AzureML, SQL Server and Power BI. We will cover its use in Microsoft Machine Learning Server to help provision a flexible enterprise platform for analyzing data at scale, building intelligent apps, and discovering valuable insights across your business. Machine Learning Server meets the needs of all constituents of the process – from data engineers and data scientists to line-of-business programmers and IT professionals. It offers a choice of languages and features algorithmic innovation that brings the best of open-source and proprietary worlds together.

2.45 Break

3.00 Python Data Science Notebook and Labs

Python is an important skill in analysing data, data science and artificial intelligence. In the final segment, you will learn about Python, how to use it, and how to use Notebooks to work with your code.

5.00 Wrap up and QA

Get Hygge with it – Your 5 Step Guide to #ESPC18

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ESPC18-Speaker-Graphic-Jennifer

I’m excited to be presenting at the European Sharepoint, Office365 and Azure Conference in Copenhagen on 26th – 29th November. The conference has great content delivered by Microsoft MVPs, Regional Directors and Microsoft team members. It’s a great place to get all of your Microsoft content and news to help you with your current technical estates, as well as plan for the future. I’d recommend attending since it is THE European conference for these topics and there are thousands of attendees going along to learn, so why aren’t you?

BOOK YOUR TICKET today and use coupon code ESPC18SPK to receive a €100 discount.

I’m delighted to be giving the Artificial Intelligence keynote: Artificial Intelligence: Winning the Red Queen’s Race.

To help you to navigate the conference, here’s a set of handy tips. I hope to see you there!

PLAN Your Sessions

Explore the ESPC18 SCHEDULE to identify what sessions you’d like to attend. Create your own schedule suited to you. If you are travelling with colleagues, divide and conquer by  attending different sessions. Afterwards swap notes to increase your learning.
Don’t have time to delve through our 120+ conference schedule? We have created dedicated pages to save you time. Check out the ESPC conference schedule based on IT PRO, DEV, BDM, AZURE or MICROSOFT SESSIONS.

CONNECT with Your Peers

Join the ESPC18 App (Login details announced in the coming weeks) & follow the hashtag #ESPC18 to find out whose attending. Why not make your presence known by sending out a tweet introducing yourself. Arrange to meet new individuals at ESPC – you never know what you might discover! Helpful tip: Carry some business cards with you to share with the new people you meet.

LEARN, Learn, Learn

Before arriving at ESPC, take some time to identify what questions you want answered. Prepare them advance to ask during a session Q&A. Why not take a break from sessions and advance your skills at the ESPC labs or check out the Ask the Experts session. Remember, it’s good practice to note three important key takeaways from each session.

Have Fun

With 2,000 delegates expected to attend, ESPC offers a host of exciting day and night experiences. Check out the WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY LUNCH, a jam packed EXPO HALL or challenge other delegates and the ESPC team to some fun games in the Community Area.
Not enough? Be sure to join the EXPO drinks on Tuesday evening or enjoy a magical night at the sell-out ESPC18 PARTY: A NIGHT AT THE CIRCUS.

SHARE with your Team

Schedule a meeting post conference to share your key learnings with your fellow co-workers. Impress colleagues with your advanced knowledge while maximizing value for your company. Share your inspiration and make plans to implement what you learned.

Still undecided about attending The leading European SharePoint, Office 365 & Azure Conference? Visit 10 REASONS TO ATTEND ESPC18 to see why you need to be there.

BOOK YOUR TICKET today and use coupon code ESPC18SPK to receive a €100 discount.

Microsoft Ignite interview with Executive Team on #ArtificialIntelligence, #Data, #OpenSource and #Cloud

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There were a number of announcements across Azure Data + AI at Microsoft Ignite, and Im delighted to say that I had the opportunity to interview Rohan Kumar, Corporate Vice President, Azure Data at Microsoft, and Eric Boyd, Corporate Vice President, AI at Microsoft.

In the interview, Rohan Kumar and Eric Boyd give their opinions and thoughts to myself and Cathrine Wilhelmsen on the big picture across Data & AI.  I was super excited since it was the first time that these Microsoft executives had been interviewed together and I was particularly interested to see how Rohan and Eric cross-reference each other’s areas. It’s clear that they are working in orchestration as a team, and I’m glad to see that because I do see that data and Artificial Intelligence impact one another so much.

Rohan and Eric talk about the announcements that excited them both, and there was also a good discussion on the role of Open Source at Microsoft, and what role it plays in Microsoft’s Data and Artificial Intelligence story.

There was a great discussion on Eric and Rohan’s thoughts on its role in making insights, Artificial Intelligence and insight-driven analysis real for organizations. Every organization on the planet has got data, and Microsoft are carving a path for the organizations that want to make use of it.

I’m personally interested in Amara’s Law, which states that “We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.” So I was interested in Rohan and Eric’s perspectives on what aspects of AI are real versus hype. What is Microsoft doing to make AI real and actionable for customers?

amara

We wrapped up with a great conversation on the Microsoft and Facebook collaboration?, which I personally find interesting.

It was  real life-achievement for me to participate in the Microsoft Ignite Community Reporter team, and it was a real achievement for me to interview the Microsoft Executives. I’d like to thank Rohan Kumar and Eric Boyd for their time and for sharing their wisdom and insights.

I was also glad to be on board with Cathrine Wilhelmsen. Cathrine was a wonderful friend and support throughout the week and she’s not just an expert in her domain, but she’s a very giving person in terms of her friendship and support. So the interview holds special meaning for me since I was glad to have the opportunity to work with her.

What I’m doing this week at #MSIgnite

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I’m delighted to say that I’m doing the Community Reporter role for Microsoft Ignite. This means I get to interview the Microsoft Executive Team, such as Amir Netz, James Phillips and Joseph Sirosh. I have complete stars in my eyes! I don’t often get the chance to speak with them so I’m delighted to get to do that. Also, they are very interesting and they have a lot to say on topics I’m passionate about, so make sure and tune in for those. I’ll release more details about times and how you can watch as soon as I can.

What does a Community Reporter do? During Microsoft Ignite, the Community Reporters will be your go-to’s for live event updates. If you aren’t attending the conference this year, these reporters will be a great way to see what’s happening on-the-ground in Orlando. Check out my content on my blog here and on Twitter and LinkedIn follow me on social to stay up-to-date on all things Microsoft Ignite!

I’d also like to meet some of you so when I get the chance, I’ll tweet out to see if any introverted people fancy sitting at a table with me for breakfast or lunch to talk about all things data.

I am also speaking at Ignite so here are the details:

BRK2280 – Artificial intelligence: Winning the Red Queen’s race with Azure

When? Thursday, September 27 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Where? Room W330 West 2 

Artificial intelligence is popularized in fictional films, but the reality is that AI is becoming a part of our daily lives, with virtual assistants like Cortana using the technology to empower productivity and make search easier. What does this mean for organizations that are running the Red Queen’s race not just to win, but to survive in a world where AI is becoming the present and future of technology? How can organizations evolve, adapt, and succeed using AI to stay at the forefront of the competition? What are the potential issues, complications, and benefits that AI could bring to us and our organizations? In this session, we discuss the relevance of AI to organizations, along with the path to success.

 

BRK1084 – Data Science for Good: Tackling homelessness in London with analytics

When? Friday, September 28 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Where? OCCC W315

Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft R and SQL Server are being used to help tackle homelessness in London by providing actionable insights to improve the prevention of homelessness as well as the processes in place to help victims. Join this session to see how Microsoft technologies are helping a data science department to make a difference to the lives of families, by revealing insights into the contributors of homelessness in families in London and the surrounding area. Join this session to understand more about finding stories in data. The case study also demonstrates the practicalities of using Microsoft technologies to help some of the UK’s most vulnerable people using data science for social good.

MUP1003 – Diversity and inclusion in technology: Why does it matter, and what can you do about it?

When? Thursday, September 27 2:15 PM – 3:30 PM
Where? OCCC W222

For people who want to build careers and manage teams, it is crucial to understand diversity and how it impacts your organization. Increasing the role of women in technology has a direct impact on the women working in hi-tech, but the effects can go far beyond that. How do female tech workers influence innovation and product development? How do men benefit from having more women working in technology? Can the presence of women in tech affect a company’s profit? Join a lively discussion on diversity, and hear proactive steps that individuals and companies can take in order to make diversity and inclusion part of the organizational DNA.

One last thing!

Remember to download the Microsoft Ignite app to have your information handy on-the-go!

See you there!