Comprehensive Guide to AI Builder in Power Automate and Power Apps
AI Builder is a powerful tool within the Microsoft Power Platform that enables users to add artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to their applications without requiring deep AI knowledge or coding skills. It integrates seamlessly with Power Automate and Power Apps, offering various actions and features that can significantly enhance business processes. This article provides a detailed overview of AI Builder, covering its actions in Power Automate, features in Power Apps, and the licensing model.
1. Introduction to AI Builder
AI Builder is a low-code AI platform that allows users to automate processes, predict outcomes, and improve business insights. By leveraging AI Builder, businesses can integrate AI models directly into their workflows and apps, making it easier to utilize AI for practical purposes.
Core Capabilities:
- Form processing
- Object detection
- Text recognition
- Business card reader
- Prediction models
2. AI Builder Actions in Power Automate
Power Automate, previously known as Microsoft Flow, is a service that helps automate workflows across applications and services. AI Builder adds several AI-driven actions to Power Automate, enhancing the ability to automate complex tasks.
Key Actions:
Form Processing:
- Extract Information from Forms: Automate the extraction of data from structured forms such as invoices, purchase orders, and surveys. This action can streamline data entry processes and reduce manual errors.
Object Detection:
- Detect Objects in Images: Identify and count objects within images. This can be particularly useful in scenarios like inventory management, where you need to keep track of stock by analyzing images.
Text Recognition:
- Extract Text from Images: Extract printed or handwritten text from images, converting it into editable and searchable content. This is beneficial for digitizing documents and automating data extraction.
Business Card Reader:
- Extract Information from Business Cards: Automatically extract contact details from business cards, which can be added to customer relationship management (CRM) systems or contact lists.
Prediction Models:
- Predict Outcomes: Use historical data to predict future outcomes. For instance, predict sales trends, customer churn, or risk assessments. This helps in making data-driven decisions.
Examples of Power Automate Workflows with AI Builder:
- Automating invoice processing by extracting data from scanned invoices and entering it into accounting systems.
- Monitoring and managing inventory by detecting and counting products in storage facility images.
- Enhancing customer service by extracting and organizing contact information from business cards collected at events.
3. AI Builder Features in Power Apps
Power Apps is a suite of apps, services, connectors, and a data platform that provides a rapid development environment to build custom apps for business needs. AI Builder enhances Power Apps by enabling users to add AI capabilities directly to their apps.
Key Features:
Form Processing:
- Form Processor Component: Integrate form processing models to extract data from forms and display it within Power Apps. This component allows users to scan documents and automate data entry processes directly from the app.
Object Detection:
- Object Detector Component: Add object detection capabilities to your apps. This component can identify and count objects in real-time using the device camera, which is useful for inventory management and quality control.
Text Recognition:
- Text Recognizer Component: Enable users to capture and convert printed or handwritten text into editable text within the app. This can facilitate document digitization and data extraction tasks.
Business Card Reader:
- Business Card Reader Component: Scan business cards to extract contact details and save them within the app. This is particularly useful for sales and marketing teams who collect contacts at events.
Prediction Models:
- Predictive Analysis Component: Integrate predictive models to forecast outcomes based on historical data. This can be used for various business scenarios such as sales forecasting, risk assessment, and customer behavior analysis.
Examples of Power Apps with AI Builder Features:
- Creating an app that allows field agents to scan forms and automatically extract and upload data to the central database.
- Building a mobile app for warehouse staff to count inventory items by taking photos.
- Developing a customer service app that scans business cards and adds contact details to the CRM system automatically.
4. Licensing Model for AI Builder
AI Builder operates on a credit-based licensing model, which is separate from the standard Power Platform licenses. Users need to purchase AI Builder credits, which are consumed based on the operations performed.
Licensing Details:
AI Builder Credits:
- Credits are required to use AI Builder features.
- The number of credits consumed depends on the type of AI model and the volume of data processed.
Pricing:
- AI Builder credits can be purchased as add-ons to Power Platform licenses.
- Microsoft provides detailed pricing information and guidelines on their licence Details.
Free Trial:
- Microsoft offers a free trial with a limited number of credits to allow users to test AI Builder capabilities before committing to a purchase.
Examples of Credit Consumption:
- Form processing and object detection actions consume credits per page or image processed.
- Prediction models consume credits based on the number of predictions made.
Summary
AI Builder is a transformative tool that brings the power of AI to Power Automate and Power Apps, enabling businesses to automate processes, enhance insights, and improve efficiency. By understanding the various actions and features of AI Builder, along with its licensing model, organizations can effectively integrate AI into their workflows and applications, driving innovation and competitive advantage.
By leveraging AI Builder, businesses can unlock new possibilities and achieve greater automation and intelligence in their operations.