Azure AI Foundry Is Now Microsoft Foundry: What the 2026 Rename Means for AI-103 and AB-731 Prep

Last updated: September 2026.

TL;DR: Microsoft renamed Azure AI Foundry to Microsoft Foundry at Ignite 2025, effective from January 2026. For most existing deployments it is a branding change, with endpoints and keys preserved. The exam objectives for AI-103 and AB-731 already use the new vocabulary, so update your notes and mentally translate any study material that still says Azure AI Foundry.

If you are preparing for a Microsoft AI certification in 2026, you have probably noticed a naming mismatch. Your study notes, a third-party course, or an older Microsoft Learn module says Azure AI Foundry, while the live exam objectives now say Microsoft Foundry. You are not misreading anything. Microsoft renamed the product, and the exam vocabulary moved before most study material caught up. This matters most for AI-103 (Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate) and AB-731 (Microsoft Certified: AI Transformation Leader), where Foundry terminology is baked into the skills outline. This guide explains exactly what changed, what did not, and how to keep your revision current.

What Changed: Azure AI Foundry Is Now Microsoft Foundry

The product formerly called Azure AI Foundry is now called Microsoft Foundry. Microsoft's own documentation confirms this directly. The official "What is Microsoft Foundry?" page carries an evolution table that lists "Azure AI Studio / Azure AI Foundry" as the previous brand and "Microsoft Foundry" as the current one [1].

The rename was announced at Microsoft Ignite 2025, which ran from 18 to 21 November 2025, and it took effect for licensing purposes from the start of January 2026 [6]. The documentation itself has already migrated: the current canonical location for the Foundry docs is the path beginning with the Foundry section of Microsoft Learn, and the older Azure AI Foundry documentation URL now points readers to the new page [1].

For exam candidates, the headline is simple. When Microsoft's study guides, learning paths and product docs say "Foundry" in 2026, they mean the same platform your older material called Azure AI Foundry, and the same platform that Microsoft briefly called Azure AI Studio before that.

The Full Naming Timeline: Studio to Foundry to Microsoft Foundry

Part of the confusion is that this is the third name for essentially the same platform in about two years. Here is the lineage, which Microsoft's evolution table supports [1].

An independent industry analyst summed up the churn candidates feel:

Customers would be forgiven for thinking that a product getting a new name every year might indicate the lack of a long-term product strategy.

Directions on Microsoft, January 2026 [6]

That is a fair observation, but for exam purposes the practical advice is unchanged: learn the current name, recognise the old ones, and do not let a stale label convince you that a topic is out of scope.

Did Anything Actually Change, or Is It Just a Name?

For the majority of existing work, this is a branding and positioning change rather than a functional one. Microsoft is explicit that customers upgrading an existing resource keep what they already have:

Coming from Azure OpenAI? Upgrade your Azure OpenAI resource to a Foundry resource while preserving your endpoint, API keys, and existing state.

Microsoft Learn, What is Microsoft Foundry?, updated August 2026 [1]

So if you are revising and you see a demonstration that still shows an older endpoint or resource name, the underlying mechanics you learned still apply. You do not need to relearn how authentication or deployments work simply because the brand changed.

There is, however, one genuine change riding alongside the rename that AI-103 candidates in particular should understand. Microsoft has moved from the older Assistants API (referred to as Agents v0.5 and v1) to a new unified Responses API (Agents v2), delivered through a single project client SDK, the azure-ai-projects package at version 2.x or later [4]. This is a real generational change to how you build agents in code, not merely a new label. The migration guide documents concrete differences: threads become conversations, messages become items, runs become responses, and the older create-assistant call is replaced by a create-version call [4].

The important distinction for revision is this. The rename (Azure AI Foundry to Microsoft Foundry) is cosmetic for your existing knowledge. The API generation change (Assistants to Responses) is substantive, but it lives in the Foundry product documentation, not directly in the exam objectives. Treat the API mechanics as background context that helps you read current tutorials, and focus your exam effort on the vocabulary and concepts the skills outline actually lists.

Role names changed too, but permissions did not

If your revision touches access control, note that the built-in role-based access control roles were renamed alongside the product. Microsoft states plainly that this is a display-name change only:

The Foundry RBAC roles were recently renamed. Foundry User, Foundry Owner, Foundry Account Owner, and Foundry Project Manager were previously named Azure AI User, Azure AI Owner, Azure AI Account Owner, and Azure AI Project Manager. The role IDs and core permissions are unchanged by the rename.

Microsoft Learn, Role-based access control for Microsoft Foundry, updated September 2026 [3]

Microsoft also warns against a common trap: do not assume the older "Azure AI Developer" role is the right one for Foundry projects, because despite the name it is scoped to Azure Machine Learning workspaces and Foundry hubs rather than Foundry projects [3]. That is exactly the kind of naming-versus-scope subtlety a well-written exam item can test.

Foundry Tools: The Term That Replaced Azure AI Services

One rename inside the rename catches many candidates out. What you may have studied as Azure AI Services is now referred to as Foundry Tools in current Microsoft material [1]. This is not a trivial detail for AB-731 candidates, because the AB-731 skills outline uses "Foundry Tools" as a named concept, including the phrase "Foundry Tools subscription models" [5].

If your notes list Azure AI Services capabilities such as Azure AI Vision, Azure AI Search and speech, the current framing groups these under Foundry Tools. The capabilities themselves are the same services you already know; the umbrella term changed.

Old-Name to New-Name Quick Reference

Keep this table beside your revision notes. When study material uses the term on the left, mentally substitute the term on the right [1][3][4].

What the Rename Means for AI-103 Candidates

AI-103 is where the new vocabulary is most concentrated. The official study guide, with skills measured as of April 2026, describes the candidate directly:

As a candidate for this Microsoft Certification, you're an Azure AI engineer who builds, manages, and deploys agents and AI solutions that take advantage of Microsoft Foundry.

Microsoft Learn, AI-103 study guide [2]

The objective bullets themselves are saturated with the term. The skills outline lists tasks such as choosing the appropriate Foundry services, setting up AI solutions in Foundry, building generative applications by using Foundry, building agents by using Foundry, and integrating generative workflows by using Foundry SDKs and connectors, alongside repeated references to Foundry Tools and Foundry projects [2]. The AI-103 certification page reinforces this, describing the credential as validating expertise in deploying Azure AI solutions using Python and Microsoft Foundry [2].

The practical takeaway: if you are working through an AI-103 course recorded in 2025 that talks about Azure AI Foundry throughout, the content is almost certainly still relevant. Do not discard it. Simply translate the branding as you go, and prioritise the current study guide as your definitive checklist. For a structured route through the exam, see our guide on how to pass the AI-103 exam, and for hands-on practice, our Azure AI Foundry agent tutorial and RAG on Azure AI Search walkthrough both use the platform you will meet in the exam. If you are weighing AI-103 against a fundamentals exam first, our comparison of Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry sets out when to use each.

What the Rename Means for AB-731 Candidates

AB-731, the AI Transformation Leader certification, uses Foundry terminology at a strategy and benefits level rather than an implementation level. The study guide, with skills measured as of July 2026, tells candidates:

You must also be familiar with Microsoft 365 services, Microsoft Foundry, and general AI capabilities.

Microsoft Learn, AB-731 study guide [5]

The outline includes a named sub-objective to identify the benefits and capabilities of Foundry Tools, covering Azure Vision in Foundry Tools, Azure AI Search and Microsoft Foundry, plus an understanding of Foundry Tools subscription models such as pay-as-you-go and commitment tiers [5]. You are not expected to write Foundry code for AB-731, but you are expected to speak the current language of the platform and understand its commercial shape.

Because AB-731 is a leadership exam, the naming currency matters in a slightly different way. As an AI Transformation Leader you may be the person in a room correcting a stale reference, so knowing that Azure AI Foundry and Microsoft Foundry are the same platform is part of the credibility the exam is testing. Our guide on how to pass the AB-731 exam and our Azure AI services comparison for AB-731 both map cleanly onto the current outline once you apply the terminology updates above.

What About AB-900 and AI-901?

It is worth clearing up two common assumptions, because they are both wrong in instructive ways.

First, AB-900 (Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals) does not currently reference Foundry at all. Its skills outline, updated in mid 2026, is built around Microsoft 365 services, Microsoft Purview and data governance, and Copilot and agent administration, with nothing about the Foundry developer platform [1]. If you are only sitting AB-900, the rename does not affect your revision.

Second, AI-901 is the opposite of a light touch. One of its two exam domains is literally titled "Implement AI solutions by using Microsoft Foundry," and it is weighted at 55 to 60 per cent of the entire exam [1]. Sub-tasks include deploying and interacting with a model in the Foundry portal, building a lightweight chat client with the Foundry SDK, and testing a single-agent solution in the Foundry portal. So for AI-901 candidates, Foundry is not a footnote, it is the majority of the exam, and getting the current terminology right is essential. See our role-based guide to which Microsoft AI certification to take first if you are still choosing between the fundamentals exams.

Where You Will Still See the Old Name

The single most useful thing to internalise is that Microsoft itself has not finished updating every surface. Even Microsoft's own AB-731 study guide illustrates the lag: the skills-measured text uses "Microsoft Foundry" throughout, yet the study-resources table on the same page still links to "Azure AI Foundry documentation" and an "Azure AI Foundry community hub" [5]. If Microsoft's own pages carry both names side by side, third-party material certainly will.

Expect to see the old name in these places for some time:

• Older Microsoft Learn modules and videos recorded before late 2025
• Third-party courses and books written against the 2024 to 2025 branding
• Community blog posts and forum answers, many of which predate the rename
• Your own notes, if you started studying before 2026

None of these are wrong in substance. They are simply using a superseded label. When you meet the old name, translate it using the quick-reference table above and carry on. For a broader view of what Microsoft has changed across the exam programme this year, our summary of the Microsoft AI exam objective updates tracks the wider picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Azure AI Foundry still called Azure AI Foundry?

No. Azure AI Foundry was renamed Microsoft Foundry, announced at Ignite 2025 and effective from January 2026 [1][6]. The platform and its capabilities are the same; only the name changed. Microsoft's documentation now uses Microsoft Foundry throughout, and the older documentation URL redirects to the new Foundry pages.

Do I need to relearn anything for AI-103 because of the rename?

Mostly no. The rename itself is cosmetic, and Microsoft preserves endpoints, keys and state for existing resources [1]. There is a separate, genuine change from the Assistants API to the Responses API with a new SDK version, but this lives in product docs rather than the exam objectives [4]. Translate old names and keep studying.

What is the difference between Azure AI Foundry and Microsoft Foundry?

There is no functional difference. They are two names for the same platform, with Microsoft Foundry being the current name as of the January 2026 rebrand [1]. If a resource, tutorial or study guide uses either name, treat them as identical. The lineage runs Azure AI Studio, then Azure AI Foundry, then Microsoft Foundry.

Are Azure AI Services and Foundry Tools the same thing?

Yes. What Microsoft previously grouped under Azure AI Services is now referred to as Foundry Tools in current material [1]. This includes services such as Azure AI Vision, Azure AI Search and speech capabilities. The services themselves are unchanged; the umbrella term was renamed, and AB-731 in particular uses "Foundry Tools" as exam vocabulary [5].

Will my study material that says Azure AI Foundry still be valid?

Almost always, yes. Material written against the Azure AI Foundry name remains substantively correct, because the rename did not remove features [1]. The main risk is confusion, not inaccuracy. Prioritise the current official study guide as your checklist, and mentally substitute the current names when older content uses the previous branding.

Does the rename affect AB-900?

No. The AB-900 skills outline does not reference Foundry at all, focusing instead on Microsoft 365 services, Purview and Copilot administration [1]. If AB-900 is your only exam, the Foundry rename has no bearing on your revision. The rename is relevant chiefly to AI-103, AI-901 and, at a strategy level, AB-731.

Conclusion

The rename from Azure AI Foundry to Microsoft Foundry is easy to over-think. For your existing knowledge it is a label change, with the platform, endpoints and services all intact. What matters for passing an exam in 2026 is currency: the AI-103 and AB-731 objectives already use the new vocabulary, AI-901 leans on it heavily, and much of the study material in circulation has not caught up. Keep the quick-reference table close, trust that your older resources are still valid in substance, and let the current official study guide settle any doubt.

When you are ready to test your knowledge under exam conditions with up-to-date terminology, start practising with Examinotion. Browse the full catalogue on the Microsoft exams hub, or go straight to your target exam and begin your AI-103 preparation or AB-731 preparation today.

Sources

1. What is Microsoft Foundry? - Microsoft Learn, updated August 2026, accessed 2026-09-14
2. Study guide for Exam AI-103 and the Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate certification - Microsoft Learn, skills measured as of April 2026, accessed 2026-09-14
3. Role-based access control for Microsoft Foundry - Microsoft Learn, updated September 2026, accessed 2026-09-14
4. Migrate to the Foundry Agent Service (Assistants to Responses) - Microsoft Learn, updated August 2026, accessed 2026-09-14
5. Study guide for Exam AB-731: Microsoft AI Transformation Leader - Microsoft Learn, skills measured as of July 2026, accessed 2026-09-14
6. Foundry Gets New Name, Anthropic Models - Directions on Microsoft (independent industry analysis), January 2026, accessed 2026-09-14