Can AI Find Opal? Building Real-World AI with Microsoft Azure

October 1, 2026 | 7:30 - 8:30 AM (UTC) Coordinated Universal Time

Ready to get started with AI and the latest technologies? Microsoft Reactor provides events, training, and community resources to help developers, entrepreneurs and startups build on AI technology and more. Join us!

Can AI Find Opal? Building Real-World AI with Microsoft Azure

October 1, 2026 | 7:30 - 8:30 AM (UTC) Coordinated Universal Time

Ready to get started with AI and the latest technologies? Microsoft Reactor provides events, training, and community resources to help developers, entrepreneurs and startups build on AI technology and more. Join us!

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Can AI Find Opal? Building Real-World AI with Microsoft Azure

October 1, 2026 | 7:30 - 8:30 AM (UTC) Coordinated Universal Time

  • Format:
  • alt##LivestreamLivestream

Topic: AI Applications

Language: English

What happens when you take AI out of the lab and deploy it in the Australian outback?

Join Microsoft MVP Daniel Brown, live from the opal fields of Coober Pedy, South Australia, as he explores how OpalAI was built to use artificial intelligence to help identify opal-bearing material during mining operations.

Using OpalAI as a real-world case study, we'll explore the complete journey:

  • Collecting and preparing field data
  • Building an AI solution with Microsoft Azure
  • Integrating AI into an application
  • Deploying AI in a challenging real-world environment

We'll also examine the practical engineering challenges that emerge outside controlled environments, including:

  • Changing lighting conditions
  • Dust and environmental interference
  • Camera positioning
  • False positives
  • Confidence thresholds
  • Ongoing model improvement

The session will culminate in a live field demonstration, running material through OpalAI from an active opal claim in Coober Pedy to see whether AI can identify potential opal in real time.

Key Takeaways

Developers will leave with practical lessons for designing, building, and deploying AI applications that connect:

  • Software
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • The Physical World

Attendees will also receive Microsoft resources to support their continued AI learning journey.

Speakers

  • Daniel Brown

    • MVP

    Microsoft

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