An inspiring dive into custom AI bots and web apps on Microsoft Azure within the EU at ROVC in Ede!

Today, Monday 3 March 2025, I delivered an extensive, in-depth session in which I showed Christian Huijgen and Micha van Lierop of ROVC in Ede the world of custom AI bots. These bots run entirely in the European Microsoft Azure environment, which is not only a safe but also a future-proof choice.

In addition, together with Christian and Micha, I used Bolt.new to build a smart web app in which a question-driven AI bot can guide learners in electrical engineering.

With an AI literacy certificate in their pocket, I can say that Christian and Micha's knowledge of AI has grown considerably!

About the session and its topics

The certificate lists the themes covered during this interactive, in-depth session:

• Basic principles of AI and its relevance to technical education
  We started with a broad look at what AI means, how it came about and why it can play such a major role in today's (technical) education sector.
• Adapting AI models to internal knowledge and content
  How do you teach a model the specific terminology, documents and procedures of your own organisation? We explored the options for fine-tuning AI models or setting them up using smart prompt engineering.
• Using AI chatbots to support (homework) help and assessment
  An AI bot can provide students with feedback and tips more quickly. Think of marking assignments or guidance with questions about the course material.
• Pros and cons of local hosting versus cloud solutions, including GDPR aspects
  We zoomed in on the choice between running AI models locally or using cloud services. GDPR compliance is crucial, especially now that the European AI Act is here.
• Practical applications and examples of custom chatbots (including with AI Engine or Bolt.new)
  There were plenty of demonstrations of how to build your own AI chatbot in a short time, tailored exactly to the needs of your organisation or educational institution.
• Recent developments around the AI Act and the impact on educational institutions
  The AI Act has the potential to regulate AI applications in education strictly. We discussed what this means for accountability, transparency and safety in the use of AI.

Speed and ease of use with Bolt.new

During the session, Christian Huijgen and Micha van Lierop were visibly impressed by how easy and quick it was to build a web application with Bolt.new that also includes a smart AI bot. With just a few clicks there was a working web app, ready to be deployed live. The connection with Microsoft Azure was seamless, making the management and security of data within the EU even more accessible.

A boost for AI literacy

As the icing on the cake, Christian and Micha received an AI literacy certificate, which makes clear that they now know not only how this technology works, but also why and under which conditions you use AI wisely. From responsible use of data to transparency in reporting: it was all covered in this instructive session.

Looking ahead

With this new knowledge, ROVC is ready for even more innovation. I am convinced that the ripple effect, sharing knowledge and experience in the field of AI, will spread further, so that more and more organisations, schools and institutes can use responsible, transparent and safe AI bots and web apps. The possibilities are endless, from speeding up internal processes to enriching education and the guidance of pupils, students and/or course participants.

On to more innovation!

Let's keep building custom solutions that add real value. Whether you are a teacher, IT manager, educational developer or AI enthusiast: the future of AI in (technical) education and beyond looks promising. And with the combination of Microsoft Azure and smart development tools such as Bolt.new, we keep control in our own hands, entirely within the EU.

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Interested in AI literacy and the latest developments? Take a look at the workshops and training on offer, and get started building your own custom AI bot!