Getting Started with Foundry Local

Curious about running AI models locally without relying on the cloud? In this 60-minute session, we’ll introduce you to Foundry Local and how it enables developers, data professionals, and AI enthusiasts to build, test, and run AI workloads directly on their own machines. Whether you're exploring privacy-first AI, offline scenarios, or simply looking to accelerate development cycles, this session will help you get started quickly and confidently.

Apologies. The meetup is moved to next week to attract more attendees for the session.

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We’ll walk through the fundamentals of Foundry Local, including setup, supported models, and how it fits into the broader Microsoft AI ecosystem. You’ll see how to run local inference, integrate with development tools, and experiment with real-world use cases such as document processing, copilots, and lightweight agents all without needing cloud deployment. We’ll also highlight when to use local vs. cloud AI, and how to transition seamlessly between the two.

By the end of the session, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to leverage Foundry Local for rapid prototyping, secure AI development, and cost-effective experimentation. Whether you're a developer, architect, or AI practitioner, you’ll walk away with practical insights and next steps to start building AI solutions locally and scaling them when needed.