Microsoft has shared its plans to roll out advanced generative AI capabilities across its Azure commercial and Azure Government clouds. This will enable more US government agencies to leverage the latest AI innovations in a secure, compliant manner.
The announcement comes on the heels of Microsoft getting FedRAMP High authorization for Azure OpenAI Service this summer. This allowed government users and developers to integrate models like such as GPT-4, GPT-3.5, and DALL-E 3, into their own cloud apps.
However, Microsoft acknowledged many agencies handle highly sensitive data requiring even greater security. Its new roadmap aims to bring cutting-edge generative AI to these mission-critical workloads.
In Q1 2024, Microsoft will launch a preview of Azure OpenAI Service within Azure Government. This will provide access to models like GPT-3.5 Turbo and GPT-4 optimized for government needs like content generation, summarization, semantic search, and code generation.
For classified environments, Microsoft plans to preview Azure OpenAI capabilities on its air-gapped classified clouds starting summer 2024. This brings advanced AI to national security teams working with highly sensitive data.
Microsoft 365 Copilot with generative AI capabilities will begin rolling out to GCCH users in summer 2024. This brings AI productivity features like intelligent meeting recaps and personalized email responses to Microsoft's office suite.
To complement the Azure OpenAI options, Microsoft has also enabled access to smaller open-source models like Llama-2 via Azure Machine Learning in Azure Government today.
Microsoft is also fostering partnerships, like a recent collaboration between Mattermost and MobiusLogic, to deliver secure and advanced AI solutions for government.
Pointing to its various investments to guard against abuse and unintended harm, Microsoft emphasized its commitment to developing AI responsibly. Its Responsible AI standard provides a framework for responsible AI development and encourages customers to conduct Impact Assessments early in development.
The tech giant aims to drive transformational innovations across the US government that remain aligned with the White House’s recent executive order mandating safe, secure, and trustworthy AI. By ensuring data protection and responsible AI practices, Microsoft aims to provide secure, innovative solutions that are tailored to the public sector's needs.