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Semantic Kernel

AI-ASSISTANTS
Velocity5.0

Microsoft SDK for integrating large language models into apps with plugins and planning.

learn.microsoft.com/en-us/semantic-kernel ↗

Semantic Kernel is in orderly maintenance while Microsoft Agent Framework takes over.

maintenance-modemcpagent-framework-migrationdependency-hygieneopenapi-plugins
◆Current state
Semantic Kernel ships parallel .NET and Python trains on version-only tags, and most of what lands is dependency bumps, security hardening and CodeQL noise suppression. The exceptions are narrow but real: Python 1.44.1 adds a breaking MCP tool approval callback for Azure AI Agent and skips MCP tools whose normalised names collide, while earlier point releases tightened OpenAPI parsing and function-choice behaviour for assistant agents. Release cadence is roughly monthly per language with little feature surface between tags.
◆Where it's heading
The repository itself states the direction — releases in this window carry a Microsoft Agent Framework successor callout in the READMEs and .NET migration samples updated for Agent Framework 1.0 compatibility. Semantic Kernel is being kept correct and secure rather than extended, with the remaining substantive work concentrated on MCP correctness and OpenAPI plugin safety. Teams should read new tags as stability maintenance on a library with a named successor, not as continued investment.
◆Prediction
Expect the cadence to continue as security and dependency servicing with occasional MCP fixes, and for migration tooling or documentation pointing at Microsoft Agent Framework to grow faster than any new capability in Semantic Kernel itself.

◆Recent moves

  1. 12d ago

    SK .NET 1.79: dependency bumps and a Cosmos DB vector store fix

    A .NET package bump carrying SDK and dependency updates, a CodeQL false-positive suppression, dotnet-format workflow hardening and a Cosmos DB vector store fix. Servicing work with no new capability, characteristic of the maintenance cadence.

    View source ↗
  2. 13d ago

    SK Python 1.44.1: breaking MCP tool approval callback

    The most substantive release in this window: a breaking MCP tool approval callback for Azure AI Agent, plus skipping MCP tools and prompts whose normalised names collide and encoding fixes for OpenAPI server variables. Approval gating is real governance surface, and MCP correctness is where the remaining engineering attention sits.

    View source ↗
  3. 1mo ago

    SK .NET 1.78: HTTP redirect hardening and dependency bumps

    Security-flavoured servicing: automatic HTTP redirects disabled in the HttpPlugin and WebFileDownloadPlugin default clients, a Scriban bump for a flagged vulnerability, and file path validation hardening. No user-facing capability change.

    View source ↗
  4. 1mo ago

    SK Python 1.44.0: dependency bumps only

    A Python release composed entirely of Dependabot bumps across tornado, pyjwt, starlette, pymongo, bleach and pyarrow. Pure dependency hygiene, which is the default shape of a tag on this train.

    View source ↗
  5. 2mo ago

    SK Python 1.43.1: function choice behavior for assistant agents

    Adds function_choice_behavior support to Azure AI and OpenAI assistant agents and rejects encoded dot-segment paths in the OpenAPI plugin. Genuine control over tool selection plus a path-traversal guard, both fitting the pattern of correctness work over expansion.

    View source ↗
  6. 2mo ago

    SK Python 1.43.0: breaking OpenAPI parsing option changes

    A breaking change to OpenAPI document parsing options alongside more consistent function call invocation parameters. Interface tightening that callers must absorb, continuing the theme of stabilising plugin behaviour rather than adding to it.

    View source ↗