Microsoft has introduced a suite of industry-specific AI models in its Azure AI Model Catalog, enabling businesses across sectors to leverage advanced, customised AI tools for their unique operational needs. Built-in collaboration with partners such as Bayer, Cerence, Rockwell Automation, Saifr, Siemens Digital Industries Software, and Sight Machine, these adapted AI models offer fine-tuned capabilities, pre-trained using industry-specific data, spanning from agricultural solutions to in-vehicle digital assistants and manufacturing optimisation.
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Microsoft's Industry-Tailored AI Models
"Across every industry, AI is creating a fundamental shift in what’s possible, enabling new use cases and driving business outcomes. While organisations around the world recognise the value and potential of AI, for AI to be truly effective it must be tailored to specific industry needs," said Satish Thomas, Corporate Vice President, Business and Industry Solutions at Microsoft, on Wednesday.
Microsoft says this collaboration with its partner ecosystem allows it to create extensive scenarios for customers globally, with embedded AI capabilities — from industry data solutions in Microsoft Fabric to AI agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio to AI models in Azure AI Studio — that enable industries to realise their full potential.
These new partner-enabled models leverage Microsoft's Phi family of small language models (SLMs) and can also be used to configure agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio. This platform allows customers to create, customise, and deploy AI-powered agents, which can be applied to an industry’s top use cases to address its most pressing needs, Microsoft noted in a blog post.
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Partner-Specific Adapted AI Models
Bayer is launching E.L.Y. Crop Protection for sustainable agriculture, while Cerence offers CaLLM Edge, an embedded AI model for in-car control, independent of cloud connectivity.
Rockwell Automation debuts the FT Optix Food and Beverage model for real-time manufacturing support, and Saifr, from Fidelity labs, provides financial compliance tools for the finance industry, enhancing regulatory accuracy. Fidelity Labs will introduce four new models in the Azure AI model catalogue, empowering financial institutions to better manage regulatory compliance for broker-dealer communications and investment adviser advertising.
Saifr also announced its collaboration with Microsoft in using AI to streamline regulatory compliance requirements.
Siemens has launched an AI-powered copilot for its NX X software, which leverages an adapted AI model, enabling CAD designers to use natural language to streamline complex design tasks and optimise product development. This copilot provides AI-driven recommendations and best practices within NX X, helping engineers improve design quality and efficiency from concept to production, Microsoft explained.
Sight Machine has released Factory Namespace Manager, a model that standardises plant data naming conventions across manufacturing facilities. This tool converts complex, localised data into a unified corporate format, making manufacturing data "AI-ready." The solution aids manufacturers in optimising production, balancing supply chains, and seamlessly integrating factory data with enterprise systems.
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Open-Source and AI Agent Offerings
Additionally, Microsoft is also offering five open-source Hugging Face models fine-tuned for summarisation and sentiment analysis of financial data.
Microsoft said it also offers AI agents that are purpose-built for industry scenarios. Available in Copilot Studio, these agents can be configured to support organisations' industry-specific needs.
New Healthcare AI Models
Last month, Microsoft announced new healthcare AI models in Azure AI Studio. These multimodal medical imaging foundation models, created in partnership with organisations like Providence and Paige.ai, enable healthcare organisations to integrate and analyse a variety of data types, leveraging intelligence in modalities other than text in specialities such as ophthalmology, pathology, radiology and cardiology.
