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Microsoft Giving Startups Templates To Build AI Apps

A new perk for businesses enrolled in the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub program aims to fast-track their ability to build AI-powered applications.

Announced on Tuesday as part of Microsoft's Build 2024 conference, the new "Build with AI" feature, currently in preview, gives startups "access to flexible templates designed to accelerate the creation and deployment of Al solutions," according to a blog post by Annie Pearl, corporate vice president of ecosystems at Microsoft.

There are currently four templates available through Build with AI, each one customizable and intended to address "common startup situations" like:

  • Adding ChatGPT to an app
  • Connecting ChatGPT to an app's data using Python
  • Connecting ChatGPT to an app's data using JavaScript
  • Creating a ChatGPT plugin

In addition to the templates, the Founders Hub is also getting an AI assistant by way of Copilot. Currently available in private preview in select markets, Copilot in Founders Hub exists as a chat window with which users can converse in natural language.

Together, said Pearl, the templates and the Copilot chat feature promise to "streamline Al development and provide comprehensive support at every stage of the startup journey."

Microsoft first launched the Founders Hub in 2022 with the aim of giving startups access to technological resources and guidance that might otherwise be out of their reach becuase of low funding. Depending on their level of engagement with the program, startups can receive between $1,000 and $150,000 in Azure credits, up to $2,500 in OpenAI credits, free access to GitHub, as well as compute resources in Microsoft's cloud.

About the Author

Gladys Rama (@GladysRama3) is the editorial director of Converge360.

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