Microsoft is joining the list of companies adopting DeepSeek R1, adding it as an available AI model in the company’s Azure AI Foundry and GitHub.

DeepSeek has been gaining fans and critics at a phenomenal rate after the company demonstrated that its AI model could rival or best OpenAI’s at a fraction of the cost. Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said he is switching his startup from using OpenAI’s models to DeepSeek’s and Perplexity AI has added R1 to the list of AI models it uses.

Microsoft announced in a blog post that it is now making R1 available to its customers.

DeepSeek R1 is now available in the model catalog on Azure AI Foundry and GitHub, joining a diverse portfolio of over 1,800 models, including frontier, open-source, industry-specific, and task-based AI models. As part of Azure AI Foundry, DeepSeek R1 is accessible on a trusted, scalable, and enterprise-ready platform, enabling businesses to seamlessly integrate advanced AI while meeting SLAs, security, and responsible AI commitments—all backed by Microsoft’s reliability and innovation.

Microsoft touted DeepSeek, as well as other models, for their ability to help accelerate developers’ workflow.

One of the key advantages of using DeepSeek R1 or any other model on Azure AI Foundry is the speed at which developers can experiment, iterate, and integrate AI into their workflows. With built-in model evaluation tools, they can quickly compare outputs, benchmark performance, and scale AI-powered applications. This rapid accessibility—once unimaginable just months ago—is central to our vision for Azure AI Foundry: bringing the best AI models together in one place to accelerate innovation and unlock new possibilities for enterprises worldwide.

The company also says it is committed to delivering DeepSeek R1 in a safe and secure manner.

We are committed to enabling customers to build production-ready AI applications quickly while maintaining the highest levels of safety and security. DeepSeek R1 has undergone rigorous red teaming and safety evaluations, including automated assessments of model behavior and extensive security reviews to mitigate potential risks. With Azure AI Content Safety, built-in content filtering is available by default, with opt-out options for flexibility. Additionally, the Safety Evaluation System allows customers to efficiently test their applications before deployment. These safeguards help Azure AI Foundry provide a secure, compliant, and responsible environment for enterprises to confidently deploy AI solutions.

Microsoft Continues to Lessen Its Reliance On OpenAI

Microsoft and OpenAI’s relationship has been cooling for months, with Microsoft reportedly wanting to lessen its reliance on OpenAI and look for alternatives. The company has growing concerns over GPT’s “cost and speed for enterprise.”

“We incorporate various models from OpenAI and Microsoft depending on the product and experience,” Microsoft said in the statement in late 2024.

Incorporating DeepSeek’s AI model in Azure AI appears to be another step in that direction.