Microsoft Copilot Studio: Easier AI Agent Building

These updates can sometimes look like nerd notes (I had to look up what the differentiator is with NLU+), but the truth is; these enhancements should be the sparks that #Ignite our potential for taking simple ideas ("what I could just...", "it would be great if I could..."), and turning them into the assets that enable us to achieve our goals. For example; the first thing I thought of, reading about automatic data labeling through the new #Purview #Dataverse Connector? During KYC checks, or onboarding of new customers, the information collected would be automatically processed and classified appropriately, through a simple, rich, conversational experience. An omnichannel experience delivering accessibility to customers, integrity to administrators, and confidence to teams charged with delivering exceptional products & services. Have a read, then imagine what you could achieve if an #Agent: understood you better? Aligned data and #compliance? Met your customers where they are, in their language? And also provide a well governed and nurturing environment to bring ideas together constructively? It's more transparent, easier to understand, and closer to your grasp than you might imagine. If you want to know more, get in touch with us at Ingentive. 😎 #AI #COPILOT #MICROSOFT #SHOUTING #INGENTIVE #COPILOTSTUDIO #TRANSFORMATION #POWERPLATFORM

Microsoft changed a few things in Copilot Studio billing this month, full article below. The key point to call out is that "Use in Microsoft 365 Copilot scenarios" is no charge. Otherwise there is a credit amount being charged as a billing rate depending on the feature being used. I've heard from quite a few people that predicting the consumption charges from Copilot Studio is still difficult, Microsoft will continue tweaking things as we go. https://lnkd.in/gj-nQx46

Diving Deep into Microsoft Copilot: Building My First AI Agent Recently, I’ve been exploring Microsoft Copilot Studio and had the opportunity to build my first AI agent. What started as curiosity about the platform’s capabilities turned into a fascinating deep dive into the underlying architecture that powers these intelligent systems. The Discovery Process Working with Copilot Studio’s visual interface made it surprisingly straightforward to design workflows and connect relevant data sources. But as someone who likes to understand what’s happening under the hood, I wanted to explore the backend mechanics that make these agents truly intelligent. What I Built My first agent integrates with organizational data sources and can handle complex queries while maintaining proper security protocols. The visual flow designer made the process intuitive, but understanding the backend processing revealed the real sophistication of the platform. Behind the Scenes: The Technical Reality When you build an agent in Copilot Studio, here’s what happens behind the scenes: 1. Authentication & Security: Your agent operates within your Microsoft 365 tenant security boundary, respecting user permissions and Conditional Access policies 2. Data Retrieval: Uses Microsoft Graph to access organizational data based on user permissions 3. RAG Implementation: The system retrieves relevant context from your configured data sources before generating responses 4. Multi-Agent Orchestration: New features include multi-agent orchestration capabilities for coordinating multiple agents Key Learning What impressed me most is how the platform abstracts complex protocols like Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent2Agent (A2A) communication behind an accessible interface, while still providing the robust enterprise-grade security and data governance we need. Looking Forward I’m getting more familiar with these terminologies - RAG, MCP, multi-agent orchestration and I’m excited to dive deeper into agent development. There’s something compelling about building systems that can intelligently interact with organizational data while maintaining security boundaries. The combination of visual design tools with sophisticated backend architecture makes this an exciting time to be working with AI agents. Looking forward to exploring more advanced use cases and sharing what I learn along the way. #AI #MicrosoftCopilot #AgentDevelopment #ArtificialIntelligence #Microsoft365

Thank you to the Microsoft team for the quick sharing session on Copilot Studio. It’s a powerful tool for building custom GPT-powered copilots using low-code — designed to meet real enterprise needs. Highlights: Easy integration with Microsoft 365 Enterprise-grade security and governance Built for IT teams and business users Cost model: Copilot Studio is part of the Microsoft Power Platform. Pricing is based on per pack/message or Pay as You Go, depending on usage. It scales well and integrates smoothly with existing Microsoft 365 licenses. Compared to AI Foundry and OpenAI: Copilot Studio offers better enterprise integration and governance. OpenAI requires more custom development, while AI Foundry focuses on data orchestration and pipeline management.

From complexity to simplicity: MCP is redefining agent building. In this tutorial, Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) — supported by Microsoft — shows how easy it is to create AI agents inside Copilot Studio. 🔹 Connect to services like DocuSign seamlessly 🔹 Use pre-built tools for tasks like sending docs & managing templates 🔹 Skip manual flow-building thanks to MCP’s standardization 🔹 Publish and interact directly in Teams & M365 The takeaway? MCP doesn’t just connect AI models to data — it empowers developers to focus on outcomes, not wiring. The future of agent development is faster, simpler, and more collaborative. Watch the full guide: https://lnkd.in/gUX6rHNe #MCP #Anthropic #CopilotStudio #Microsoft365 #AIagents #Automation #DeveloperTools

Copilot is starting to grow on me. It’s maturing fast and finally shipping features I expect; now recently over summer: Memory + Custom Instructions. What it does: Copilot can remember what matters (your preferences, projects, style) and apply your custom rules so you don’t repeat yourself. Rolling out across Microsoft 365 Copilot and available for Individuals (toggle via Personalization). Admins can control it. Agents don’t support Memory (yet). It's not really about remembering every single chat history but more about your defaults for Copilot: “keep it concise,” “I prefer Python,” “we’re on Project Alpha”, so Copilot outputs adapt automatically. You’ll see a subtle “memory updated” cue when Copilot saves one. Kickstart it by asking: “Copilot, interview me with 10 Q&As to learn my preferences. Ask one by one and let me skip any question.” Turn on/off & manage Individuals (web/app): Settings → Account → Privacy → Personalization & memory (toggle On/Off; delete specific memories). Microsoft 365 Copilot (user): Open Copilot → Settings → Memories (view/edit/delete; turn off entirely). Custom Instructions let you set persistent drafting rules (tone, length, structure) to personalize the experience beyond a single chat. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eP5sVHjE #Copilot #AIProductivity #Microsoft365 #MicrosoftCopilot #Copilot #Microsoft365 #AIProductivity #FutureOfWork

As I’m sure you’ve all seen, there have been some pretty big shifts in the positioning of the Copilot product. From the renaming of Agent Builder to Copilot Studio Lite Experience, to the roll-in of add-ons like Copilot for Sales and Service into the core Microsoft 365 Copilot license, and now the introduction of Copilot Credits for advanced scenarios, there is enough to make anyone’s head spin. Let’s break it down: Copilot Studio Lite vs Full Experience: The Copilot Lite Experience is your quick-start option for lightweight agents inside Microsoft 365. While the Full Experience is for enterprise-scale, complex workflows, and external integrations. Role-Based Copilots: Sales, Service, and Finance copilots are no longer separate SKUs. If you have Microsoft 365 Copilot, you will soon be able to install these from the Copilot Agent Store at no extra cost. Copilot Credits: This is the new currency for extensibility. It covers premium actions, advanced AI reasoning, and custom connectors beyond the base entitlement. The bottom line is that Microsoft is simplifying licensing while expanding capability. What do you think? Does this make adoption easier for your organization, or does it raise new questions around governance and cost predictability? Also, here are some helpful links for those of you who want to learn more. https://lnkd.in/gQ4jRkwn https://lnkd.in/gxXGSEuZ

AI agents aren’t the future—they’re here. And Microsoft has built the full toolkit to power them: 🔹 Copilot Studio – Low-code conversational agents 🔹 Azure OpenAI – GPT-powered reasoning & orchestration 🔹 Semantic Kernel – Memory + skills for multi-agent systems 🔹 Microsoft Graph API – Deep access to Microsoft 365 data 🔹 Dynamics 365 & Power Platform – Copilots for business From Teams to Power BI, the new era is about agents that think, act & collaborate like humans—inside the tools we already use. 💡 The real opportunity? Designing agents that augment people, not replace them. 👉 Are you exploring Microsoft’s AI agent toolkit? Let’s connect. #AI #Agents #Microsoft #Copilot #Azure #BusinessIntelligence

🚀 Copilot Studio Update: Smarter, More Powered Than Ever! Exciting news, Microsoft has unleashed a fresh wave of enhancements in Copilot Studio that empower makers to Innovate Faster and Automate Smarter: ** Highlights from Recent Releases:** • Python by Prompt: Use natural language to generate Python-based actions with the new code interpreter, directly in your workflows. • Smarter Intelligence with File Groups & Variables: Leverage organized local files and variable-based instructions for pinpoint accuracy. • Multi-Modal Input Support: Copilot Studio agents now accept uploaded files and images—boosting what they can analyze and act on seamlessly. • Analytics on Steroids: Track generated answer rates and response quality, so you can continuously refine agent performance. • OneLake Integration via Fabric Data Agents: Combine real-time business insights with governed, analytics-powered responses. • NLU+ at Your Fingertips: Train high-accuracy language models natively—define custom topics, entities, and synonyms right inside Copilot Studio. • Admin-Grade Controls: Set message quotas per agent, isolate agents via API quarantine, and manage all your agents better than ever. • Feedback That Speaks: View user reactions and comments in one unified dashboard to understand what works—and what doesn’t. At Forwardgen, we’re thrilled by these upgrades. They supercharge our mission to help clients Innovate Faster and Automate Smarter—by enabling cleaner, more intelligent, and highly governed AI workflows integrated across Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Teams, and beyond. How are you planning to harness these new features in your workflows—or want to explore a demo tailored to your use case? Let’s talk! #CopilotStudio #PowerPlatform #AI #Forwardgen #Agents #Copilot

Just finished the course “Streamlining Your Work with Microsoft Copilot” by Nicholas Brazzi! Check it out: https://lnkd.in/dF8GySc6 #microsoftcopilot #aiproductivity #artificialintelligenceforbusiness.