Semantic Kernel is an SDK that integrates Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, and Hugging Face with conventional programming languages like C#, Python, and Java. Semantic Kernel achieves this by allowing you to define plugins that can be chained together in just a few lines of code.
What makes Semantic Kernel special, however, is its ability to automatically orchestrate plugins with AI. With Semantic Kernel planners, you can ask an LLM to generate a plan that achieves a user's unique goal. Afterwards, Semantic Kernel will execute the plan for the user.
The Semantic Kernel SDK is available in C#, Python, and Java. To get started, choose your preferred language below. See the Feature Matrix to see a breakdown of feature parity between our currently supported languages.
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The quickest way to get started with the basics is to get an API key from either OpenAI or Azure OpenAI and to run one of the C#, Python, and Java console applications/scripts below.
Program.cs
file.F5
or dotnet run
python -m pip install semantic-kernel
.hello-world.py
..env
file as described here.hello-world.py
script.git clone https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel.git
git clone -b java-development https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel.git
The fastest way to learn how to use Semantic Kernel is with our C# and Python Jupyter notebooks. These notebooks demonstrate how to use Semantic Kernel with code snippets that you can run with a push of a button.
Once you've finished the getting started notebooks, you can then check out the main walkthroughs on our Learn site. Each sample comes with a completed C# and Python project that you can run locally.
Finally, refer to our API references for more details on the C# and Python APIs:
We welcome your contributions and suggestions to SK community! One of the easiest ways to participate is to engage in discussions in the GitHub repository. Bug reports and fixes are welcome!
For new features, components, or extensions, please open an issue and discuss with us before sending a PR. This is to avoid rejection as we might be taking the core in a different direction, but also to consider the impact on the larger ecosystem.
To learn more and get started:
This project has adopted the Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct. For more information see the Code of Conduct FAQ or contact opencode@microsoft.com with any additional questions or comments.
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Licensed under the MIT license.