Data and AI Essentials

Microsoft Data and AI Essentials — Overview & Course Structure

Duration: 1 Day
Description:
Microsoft Data and AI Essentials is an introductory course or learning path designed to build foundational understanding of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) services within the Microsoft Azure ecosystem.

This course is ideal for:
• Beginners to Azure Data & AI
• Business users, junior data professionals, or technical decision makers
• Individuals preparing for more advanced Azure certifications

Microsoft Data & AI Essentials

Module 1: Introduction to Azure Data & AI

• Microsoft’s vision for Data & AI
• Data to AI lifecycle: ingest, store, process, analyze, model, act
• Overview of key Azure services:
  • Azure Synapse Analytics
  • Azure Data Lake Storage
  • Azure Machine Learning
  • Power BI
  • Azure OpenAI
• Demo: Navigating Azure Portal

Module 2: Data Fundamentals on Azure

• Structured vs. unstructured data
• Databases: Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Azure Data Explorer
• Data pipelines and integration: Azure Data Factory
• Governance & compliance: Microsoft Purview

Activity: Choose the right Azure storage/database solution

Module 3: AI & Machine Learning Essentials

• What is AI? Common AI use cases
• Azure AI services overview:
  • Azure Cognitive Services (vision, speech, language, decision)
  • Azure Machine Learning
  • Azure OpenAI Service
• Demo: Build a no-code text analysis app using Azure Cognitive Services

Module 4: Analytics & Business Intelligence

• Introduction to Power BI
• Integrating Power BI with Azure data sources
• Azure Synapse and real-time analytics

Activity: Create a basic Power BI dashboard with sample data

Module 5: Responsible AI & Governance

• Microsoft’s Responsible AI principles
• Data privacy, ethics, and transparency
• Overview of AI governance tools (Purview, Compliance Manager, Responsible AI dashboard)