How GitHub Copilot and Azure AI Apps Fueled a Real-World Project: The 'No Bark' Solution
In this episode, Microsoft’s Damian Hasak shares with host Govind Kamtamneni how GitHub Copilot and Azure AI Apps enabled a creative, real-world AI solution for reducing dog barking during meetings.
How GitHub Copilot and Azure AI Apps Fueled a Real-World Project: The ‘No Bark’ Solution
Episode Summary
Host Govind Kamtamneni sits down with Damian Hasak, the AI Apps GBB Lead at Microsoft, to explore how GitHub Copilot and Azure AI services enabled the creation of ‘No Bark’—an AI-powered solution for controlling dog barking in real time. Despite not being a full-time developer, Damian leveraged AI tools and cloud resources to solve a personal challenge, ultimately sharing his journey and practical advice for both developers and enthusiasts.
Key Topics Covered
1. Empowering Non-Coders with GitHub Copilot
- Copilot lowered barriers for those without a programming background
- Enabled fast iteration and confidence in code-driven problem-solving
2. The ‘No Bark’ Project: An AI Approach to Dog Barking
- Personal motivation: keeping meetings productive with less dog noise
- Data collection from his own dogs for training
- Use of idle GPUs to train machine learning models on bark detection
- Differentiating between live and TV barks for accurate response
3. Humane and Innovative Solutions
- Employed ultrasonic tones as a humane correction method
- Considered the needs of both dogs and family when designing features
4. Community Engagement and Open Source
- Damian shared the project on GitHub, making it accessible for community use and improvement
- Encouraged curiosity and a hands-on approach to AI regardless of prior coding experience
5. Tools and Technologies Used
- GitHub Copilot: Assisted in code generation, troubleshooting, and learning
- Azure AI Services: Managed training, deployment, and experimentation
- Azure Machine Learning: Orchestrated the model training lifecycle
- GPU Utilization: Leveraged for efficient machine learning experimentation
Demo Highlights
- Demonstration of real-time bark detection and ultrasonic response
- Steps for tuning models on original datasets
- Family feedback and iterative improvements
Resources & Further Learning
Speakers
- Damian Hasak – AI Apps GBB Lead, Microsoft (LinkedIn)
- Govind Kamtamneni – Host, Microsoft Developer (LinkedIn)