Episode 249 - Cracking Copilot and the Mysteries of Microsoft 365

In this episode, guest host Andrew Connell, a Microsoft MVP of 21 years, joins Allen to unravel the complexities of Microsoft's AI strategy, particularly within the enterprise. They explore the world of Microsoft 365 Copilot, distinguishing it from the broader AI landscape and consumer tools like ChatGPT. Andrew provides an insider's look at how Copilot functions within a secure, private "enclave," leveraging a "Semantic Index" of your organization's data to provide relevant, contextual answers.The conversation then shifts to the developer experience. Discover the different ways developers can extend and customize Copilot, from low-code solutions in Copilot Studio to creating powerful "declarative agents" with JSON and even building "custom engine agents" where you can bring your own models and infrastructure. If you've ever wondered what Microsoft's AI story is for businesses and internal developers, this episode provides a comprehensive and honest overview.Timestamps:[00:00:01] - Introducing guest host Andrew Connell[00:00:54] - What is a Microsoft 365 developer?[00:01:40] - Andrew's journey into the Microsoft ecosystem[00:05:00] - 21 years as a Microsoft MVP[00:06:15] - Enterprise Cloud vs. Developer Cloud[00:08:06] - Microsoft's AI focus for the enterprise[00:10:57] - What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?[00:13:07] - How Copilot ensures data privacy with a "secure enclave"[00:14:58] - Understanding the Semantic Index[00:16:31] - Is Copilot a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) system?[00:17:23] - Responsible AI in the Copilot stack[00:19:19] - The developer story for extending Copilot[00:22:43] - Building declarative agents with JSON and YAML[00:25:05] - Using actions and tools with agents[00:27:00] - How agents are deployed via Microsoft Teams[00:32:48] - Where does Copilot actually run?[00:36:20] - Key takeaways from Microsoft Build[00:41:20] - The spectrum of development: low-code to full-code[00:43:00] - Full control with Custom Engine Agents[00:49:30] - Where to find Andrew Connell onlineHashtags:#Microsoft #AI #Copilot #Microsoft365 #Azure #SharePoint #MicrosoftTeams #MVP #Developer #Podcast #Tech #EnterpriseSoftware #CloudComputing #ArtificialIntelligence #Agents #LowCode #NoCode #RAG