Microsoft is incorporating open source machine learning models into Azure applications and services, with a focus on its own open source tools. Hugging Faces library of thousands of models and data sets is built on top of a large selection of different tools and services, making it a good option for applying AI to different business problems. While Microsofts own Cognitive Services APIs cover many common AI scenarios, they are designed for general purposes and may require significant tunings for edge cases. Building specific models from scratch using Azures Machine Learning studio can also be cost-prohibitive. With Hugging Face, developers can quickly import pre-built models for inferencing or access them via a cloud API, short-circuiting the customization problem.
