ITVersity AI and Data Newsletter - Edition - May 13, 2025
🚀 Welcome to this month’s AI, Data & Cloud Digest! From Baidu’s bold move with Ernie 4.5 to Microsoft Azure’s record-breaking AI growth, the cloud and AI world is moving fast — and we’re here to keep you ahead. Dive into the latest industry news, explore free learning resources, claim exclusive Udemy coupons, and don’t miss our featured article on transitioning to Data Engineering. Plus, mark your calendar for the upcoming Agentic AI Conference — it's free and packed with cutting-edge insights.
🔥 Featured Updates - AI, Data and Cloud
Baidu to Launch Ernie 4.5 AI Model in Mid-March
Baidu is set to release Ernie 4.5, its next-gen AI model, by mid-March — featuring stronger reasoning and upgraded multimodal capabilities.
The model can handle text, video, audio, and images, aiming to match or outdo GPT-4-level performance. Ernie 4.5 will go open-source from June 30, a major shift from Baidu’s earlier closed-source stance.
CEO Robin Li confirmed that competition from DeepSeek — a rising Chinese AI startup — pushed Baidu to rethink its approach. Baidu faces increasing pressure, with players like Alibaba also making moves. The AI arms race in China is heating up — and Baidu’s latest play is a bold one.
Click here to know more…!
📊 Industry News & Trends - AI, Data and Cloud
Ex-Google CEO Backs AI Agents to Speed Up Scientific Discovery
Backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt — has launched AI agents designed to help scientists cut through research overload.
These “superintelligent scientific agents” outperform humans in reviewing literature, planning experiments, and validating sources.
The launch includes 4 agents:
Crow – general search & summarization
Falcon – deep literature reviewer
Owl – checks for existing experiments
Phoenix – plans chemistry experiments
The mission: radically accelerate discovery in biology, chemistry, and beyond.
Click here to know more…!
Microsoft Azure Soars 33%, AI Drives Big Gains
Microsoft’s Azure cloud business grew 33% last quarter — with AI alone contributing 16 percentage points to that growth.
The company beat earnings expectations and forecast even stronger cloud revenue ahead, pushing shares up 7% after hours and adding $200B+ to its market value.
While analysts flagged concerns around canceled data-center leases, Microsoft’s results — paired with strong performance in non-AI cloud services — calmed fears of an AI slowdown. A new Azure deal with OpenAI also boosted commercial bookings by 18%, though Microsoft kept deal details under wraps. Next quarter’s cloud revenue is expected to climb 34–35%, well above estimates.
Click here to know more…!
📚 Learning Resources & Tips
Free Tutorial Videos
🎓 Full Course: Data Engineering Using Databricks on AWS & Azure
Deep Dive with Hands-on Support on Udemy
Master Databricks features across both Azure and AWS in this in-depth course. Whether you're new to the platform or looking to sharpen your skills, this course walks you through:
✅ Setting up Azure CLI and managing ADLS containers
✅ Mounting ADLS to Databricks clusters
✅ Working with Delta Lake using both PySpark and Spark SQL
✅ Understanding Databricks SQL Clusters for analytics
🔗 Click here to see the full playlist.
Take your data engineering game to the next level — cloud-native, scalable, and production-ready.
Free Udemy Coupons
Learn something new today — here’s a free Udemy course coupon just for you!
Expiring in 5 Days!!!!!!. Make it yours before May 18th
Use the coupon code: ITV20250501FREE
Medium Articles
🛠️ Roadmap to Becoming a Data Engineer (Part 1)
For ETL / Data Warehouse Developers
🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Edition:
Why legacy ETL roles are evolving fast
Key skills every Data Engineer must master: SQL, Python, Spark, AWS, etc.
How Cloud platforms like AWS and Databricks are shaping modern data pipelines
Recap of traditional ETL workflows vs. modern data architectures
Real-world reference architectures for AWS and Databricks
Tools and trends that are reshaping the industry (RIP, Hadoop 👋
Click here to read the full article - Part 1
📅 Upcoming Events & Webinars
Event Details:
Date: May 27-28, 2025
Location: Virtual
Focus Areas: Agentic AI, Machine Learning, Data Science
Free Access: Yes, fully free online event
Registration: Available at Data Science Dojo
Overview: Hosted by Data Science Dojo, the Agentic AI Conference is a free virtual event focusing on agentic AI, a cutting-edge area of AI where systems act autonomously. It includes sessions with industry experts, practical workshops, and access to LinkedIn and Discord communities for networking.
📢 Conclusion
AI is transforming creativity and learning, making everything from music to fashion more exciting and accessible. But this is just the start—how we use AI next is up to us!
💬 What’s your favorite AI tool? Drop a comment!
❤️ Enjoyed this? Like & share!
🔄 Want more? Follow us for hands-on AI experiments! Let’s explore AI together—one innovation at a time! 🚀
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Best, The ITVersity Team