Add GitHub Models retirement banners and legacy labeling (#494)

.github/.devcontainer/README.md

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ This workshop provides two development container configurations to suit differen
 
 **Use this if you:**
 
-- Have a GitHub account for GitHub Models
+- Have a GitHub account for GitHub Models (legacy fallback, [retiring July 30, 2026](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-01-github-models-is-being-fully-retired-on-july-30-2026/) — prefer Azure AI Foundry)
 - Plan to use Azure OpenAI
 - Want to follow the workshop as designed
 

.github/copilot-instructions.md

@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ dotnet new mcpserver --help
 - **.NET 9**: AI Web Chat applications with Blazor and .NET Aspire
 - **.NET 8**: MCP server applications  
 - **Microsoft Extensions for AI**: Core AI integration libraries
-- **GitHub Models**: Free AI models for development
+- **GitHub Models**: Legacy dev-only provider, retiring July 30, 2026 — use Azure AI Foundry (Azure OpenAI) instead
 - **Azure OpenAI**: Enterprise-grade AI models for production
 - **Qdrant**: Vector database for embeddings and semantic search
 - **Docker**: Container orchestration for vector databases

Part 1 - Setup/README.md

@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 
 In this workshop, you will set up your development environment for building AI applications with .NET. You'll install the required tools and configure your environment to work with the workshop materials.
 
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> **GitHub Models is [retiring on July 30, 2026](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-01-github-models-is-being-fully-retired-on-july-30-2026/)** (brownouts July 16 & 23). Set up **Azure AI Foundry (Azure OpenAI)** as your primary provider; the GitHub account below is only for the legacy fallback.
+
 ## Prerequisites
 
 Before starting, ensure you have:

Part 2 - Project Creation/GenAiLab/README.md

@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ This incompatibility can be addressed by upgrading to Docker Desktop 4.41.1. See
 # Configure the AI Model Provider
 
 ## Using GitHub Models
+
+> [!WARNING]
+> **GitHub Models is [retiring July 30, 2026](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-01-github-models-is-being-fully-retired-on-july-30-2026/)** (brownouts July 16 & 23). Use it only as a temporary legacy fallback — prefer **Azure OpenAI** (see the Azure OpenAI section below).
+
 To use models hosted by GitHub Models, you will need to create a GitHub personal access token. The token should not have any scopes or permissions. See [Managing your personal access tokens](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/managing-your-personal-access-tokens).
 
 From the command line, configure your token for this project using .NET User Secrets by running the following commands:

Part 4 - Azure OpenAI/README.md

@@ -6,12 +6,15 @@
 
 In this workshop, you will learn how to migrate your application from using GitHub Models during development to Azure OpenAI for production. You'll understand how the common interfaces in Microsoft Extensions for AI make this migration seamless, create an Azure OpenAI resource, deploy models, and update your application's configuration.
 
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> **GitHub Models is [retiring on July 30, 2026](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-01-github-models-is-being-fully-retired-on-july-30-2026/)** (brownouts July 16 & 23). It appears here only as a legacy starting point — **Azure AI Foundry (Azure OpenAI)** is the recommended provider.
+
 > [!TIP]
 > **Alternative AI Providers**: While this workshop focuses on migrating from GitHub Models to Azure OpenAI, the same principles apply to other providers:
 >
 > - **Azure OpenAI** (covered here): Simpler setup, better error handling, higher token limits - recommended if you have Azure access
 > - **OpenAI** (direct): Similar to Azure OpenAI but with different pricing and terms - see [OpenAI documentation](https://platform.openai.com/docs/quickstart) for setup
-> - **GitHub Models**: Great for getting started and learning, with free tier access for all GitHub users
+> - **GitHub Models** (legacy — retiring July 30, 2026): Was great for getting started with free access for all GitHub users; prefer Azure AI Foundry now
 >
 > Choose the provider that best fits your access and requirements. The beauty of Microsoft Extensions for AI is that switching between providers requires minimal code changes.
 

Part 5 - Products Page/GenAiLab/README.md

@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ This incompatibility can be addressed by upgrading to Docker Desktop 4.41.1. See
 # Configure the AI Model Provider
 
 ## Using GitHub Models
+
+> [!WARNING]
+> **GitHub Models is [retiring July 30, 2026](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-01-github-models-is-being-fully-retired-on-july-30-2026/)** (brownouts July 16 & 23). Use it only as a temporary legacy fallback — prefer **Azure OpenAI** (see the Azure OpenAI section below).
+
 To use models hosted by GitHub Models, you will need to create a GitHub personal access token. The token should not have any scopes or permissions. See [Managing your personal access tokens](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/managing-your-personal-access-tokens).
 
 From the command line, configure your token for this project using .NET User Secrets by running the following commands:

Part 6 - Deployment/GenAiLab/README.md

@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ This incompatibility can be addressed by upgrading to Docker Desktop 4.41.1. See
 # Configure the AI Model Provider
 
 ## Using GitHub Models
+
+> [!WARNING]
+> **GitHub Models is [retiring July 30, 2026](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-01-github-models-is-being-fully-retired-on-july-30-2026/)** (brownouts July 16 & 23). Use it only as a temporary legacy fallback — prefer **Azure OpenAI** (see the Azure OpenAI section below).
+
 To use models hosted by GitHub Models, you will need to create a GitHub personal access token. The token should not have any scopes or permissions. See [Managing your personal access tokens](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/managing-your-personal-access-tokens).
 
 From the command line, configure your token for this project using .NET User Secrets by running the following commands:

README.md

@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 Get up to speed quickly with AI app building in .NET! Explore the new .NET AI project templates integrated with Microsoft Extensions for AI (MEAI), Azure AI Foundry, and vector data stores. Learn how to build with Azure AI Foundry (Azure OpenAI) models for both development and production, with GitHub Models and local models (Foundry Local / Ollama) available as fallbacks. Gain hands-on experience building cutting-edge intelligent solutions with state-of-the-art frameworks and best practices.
 
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> **GitHub Models is [retiring on July 30, 2026](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-01-github-models-is-being-fully-retired-on-july-30-2026/)** (with brownouts on July 16 and 23). This workshop uses **Azure AI Foundry (Azure OpenAI)** as the primary provider; GitHub Models appears only as a legacy fallback. See [Part 5 - Providers and Fallbacks](Part%205%20-%20Providers%20and%20Fallbacks/README.md).
+
 ## Prerequisites
 
 ### AI Web Chat Application Requirements (Parts 1-6)
@@ -128,7 +131,7 @@ Throughout this lab, you'll implement each part of this architecture, from setti
 - 🧠 **Microsoft Extensions for AI (MEAI)**: Libraries for integrating AI capabilities into .NET applications
 - 🔥 **Blazor**: For building interactive web UIs
 - 🌐 **.NET Aspire**: For orchestrating cloud-native distributed applications
-- 🐱 **GitHub Models**: Free AI models for development
+- 🐱 **GitHub Models** (legacy — [retiring July 30, 2026](https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-01-github-models-is-being-fully-retired-on-july-30-2026/)): Free during development; use Azure AI Foundry instead
 - ☁️ **Azure OpenAI**: Enterprise-grade AI models for production
 - 🔮 **Qdrant Vector Database**: For storing and searching vector embeddings