AI Skills Fest

Learn AI skills today’s employers are looking for and earn a Guinness World Record title — all for free.

I want to share an exciting opportunity to learn AI and break a literal world record.

I recently found out about this through my coworkers, and I couldn’t wait to share.

Introducing AI Skills Fest — a 50-day worldwide event to learn AI skills employers are looking for hosted by Microsoft.

The event will include AI trainings, hackathons, and practical sessions that will enhance your AI skills.

You will be a part of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to set a Guinness World Record title for most users to take an online multi-level artificial intelligence lesson in 24 hours.

I’m happy to announce, the registration for the Microsoft AI Skills Fest just officially opened to the public!

World Record Attempt

The event begins with a unique opportunity to participate in a Guinness World Record title attempt for the most users to complete an online multi-level artificial intelligence lesson in 24 hours.

Everyone who registers and completes training within the 24-hour period will be eligible for the Guinness World Record participation badge.

AI Learning Opportunities

Following the kickoff, the AI Skills Fest will continue with 50 days of curated AI training, including:

• Live Events & Webinars

• In-Person & Virtual Workshops

• Self-Paced Learning Paths

• Hackathons & Community Projects

The session catalog has a wide variety of live learning sessions you can attend.

Additionally, here is a list of structured courses I personally recommend.

Getting Started with AI Agents

GitHub Copilot Agents are custom tools embedded in Copilot Extensions. This course contains hands-on exercises to build a Copilot extension for a practical developer workflow.

By the end of this course, you will:

• Explain what a GitHub Copilot Extension is and what an agent does

• Understand the basics of creating a GitHub Copilot Extension and agent

• Utilize GitHub Copilot’s features to build and enhance GitHub Copilot Extensions and agents

• Implement a Copilot Extension and agent to assist with common developer workflows

Use AI for Everyday Tasks

Gain firsthand knowledge and experience with practical AI skills that drive efficiency in your day-to-day tasks. Work with AI tools including Microsoft Copilot, and learn what makes an effective prompt.

By the end of this course, you will:

• Understand the basics of generative AI (includes LLMs & NLPs)

• Explore AI agents

• Understand the basics of writing effective prompting

AI Agent Hackathon

As part of the Microsoft AI Skills Fest, you'll have the chance to participate in the AI Agents Hackathon 2025, a free, three-week virtual event running from April 8th to April 30th, 2025. This hackathon is designed to immerse both seasoned developers and newcomers in the world of AI agent development.

What to Expect

• Expert-Led Sessions: Engage with over 20 live-streamed sessions on YouTube, covering leading frameworks such as Semantic Kernel, Autogen, the new Azure AI Agents SDK, and the Microsoft 365 Agents SDK. These sessions will provide valuable insights and hands-on experience to enhance your AI development skills.​

• Hands-On Experience: Apply your learning by building innovative AI agents. ​

• Networking Opportunities: Connect with a global community of AI enthusiasts, share ideas, and collaborate on projects. This is a great platform to expand your professional network and learn from peers.​

Prizes and Recognition

The hackathon offers enticing prizes across various categories:​

• Best Overall Agent: $20,000​

• Best Agent in Python, C#, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript: $5,000 each​

• Best Copilot Agent (using Microsoft Copilot Studio or Microsoft 365 Agents SDK): $5,000​

• Best Azure AI Agent Service Usage: $5,000

Special Offers and Certifications

Participants will also have access to exclusive benefits

• Certification Discounts: Opportunities to win free exam vouchers and receive discounts on select certification exams.

• GitHub Copilot Certification: Available 50% discount on GitHub's newest certification exam upon completing the relevant learning module.​

Job Opportunities

I want to share some new job postings for my readers.

Microsoft AI

• Member of Technical Staff, Backend Growth Engineer: Apply

• Member of Technical Staff, Infrastructure Engineer: Apply

• Member of Technical Staff, Copilot Prompt Engineer: Apply

• Member of Technical Staff, Platform Engineer: Apply

• Member of Technical Staff, Machine Learning Engineer: Apply

If you're interested in any of these roles, feel free to reach out at hi.armankhondker@gmail.com. I can provide you with direct referrals.

Final Thoughts

A free, beginner-friendly AI training backed by Microsoft, a shot at setting a world record, and a community of learners and builders from around the world.

I look forward to sharing more learning opportunities and resources for AI in the near future.

If you’ve been thinking about getting into AI, now’s the time and perfect opportunity.