AI Platform Briefing — Azure OpenAI Service Hits General Availability
Microsoft made Azure OpenAI Service generally available on January 16, 2023, providing enterprise-governed API access to GPT-3.5, Codex, and DALL·E models with compliance guardrails.
Executive briefing: Microsoft announced general availability of Azure OpenAI Service on . The managed service exposes OpenAI models—GPT-3.5, Codex, and DALL·E 2—through Azure infrastructure with enterprise controls covering network isolation, responsible AI governance, and regional compliance.
Key capabilities
- Enterprise-grade access. Customers can deploy models within their Azure tenant, apply virtual network integration, and leverage Azure role-based access control (RBAC).
- Responsible AI guardrails. Microsoft enforces content filtering, abuse monitoring, and application review to align with its Responsible AI Standard.
- Integration with developer tooling. SDKs and REST APIs integrate with Azure Functions, Logic Apps, and Azure Machine Learning, accelerating app modernization.
Implementation guidance
- Access approval. Organisations must submit use-case justifications and comply with content policy reviews before gaining access.
- Data governance. Configure regional deployments and customer-managed keys to satisfy data residency and encryption requirements.
- Responsible AI processes. Establish human-in-the-loop review, prompt monitoring, and incident response workflows to address policy violations.
Enablement moves
- Train development teams on Azure OpenAI SDKs and cost management best practices.
- Integrate prompt logging and output review into existing DevSecOps pipelines.
- Coordinate with legal and compliance teams on acceptable use and privacy disclosures for generative AI features.