The Future of AI: Developing Lacuna - an agent for Revealing Quiet Assumptions in Product Design
A conversational agent named Lacuna is helping product teams uncover hidden assumptions embedded in design decisions. Built with Copilot Studio and powered by Azure AI Foundry, Lacuna analyzes product documents to identify speculative beliefs and assess their risk using design analysis lenses: impact, confidence, and reversibility. By surfacing cognitive biases and prompting reflection, Lacuna encourages teams to validate assumptions through lightweight evidence-gathering methods. This experiment in human-AI collaboration explores how agents can foster epistemic humility and transform static documents into dynamic conversations.Integrate Custom Azure AI Agents with CoPilot Studio and M365 CoPilot
Integrating Custom Agents with Copilot Studio and M365 Copilot In today's fast-paced digital world, integrating custom agents with Copilot Studio and M365 Copilot can significantly enhance your company's digital presence and extend your CoPilot platform to your enterprise applications and data. This blog will guide you through the integration steps of bringing your custom Azure AI Agent Service within an Azure Function App, into a Copilot Studio solution and publishing it to M365 and Teams Applications. When Might This Be Necessary: Integrating custom agents with Copilot Studio and M365 Copilot is necessary when you want to extend customization to automate tasks, streamline processes, and provide better user experience for your end-users. This integration is particularly useful for organizations looking to streamline their AI Platform, extend out-of-the-box functionality, and leverage existing enterprise data and applications to optimize their operations. Custom agents built on Azure allow you to achieve greater customization and flexibility than using Copilot Studio agents alone. What You Will Need: To get started, you will need the following: Azure AI Foundry Azure OpenAI Service Copilot Studio Developer License Microsoft Teams Enterprise License M365 Copilot License Steps to Integrate Custom Agents: Create a Project in Azure AI Foundry: Navigate to Azure AI Foundry and create a project. Select 'Agents' from the 'Build and Customize' menu pane on the left side of the screen and click the blue button to create a new agent. Customize Your Agent: Your agent will automatically be assigned an Agent ID. Give your agent a name and assign the model your agent will use. Customize your agent with instructions: Add your knowledge source: You can connect to Azure AI Search, load files directly to your agent, link to Microsoft Fabric, or connect to third-party sources like Tripadvisor. In our example, we are only testing the CoPilot integration steps of the AI Agent, so we did not build out additional options of providing grounding knowledge or function calling here. Test Your Agent: Once you have created your agent, test it in the playground. If you are happy with it, you are ready to call the agent in an Azure Function. Create and Publish an Azure Function: Use the sample function code from the GitHub repository to call the Azure AI Project and Agent. Publish your Azure Function to make it available for integration. azure-ai-foundry-agent/function_app.py at main · azure-data-ai-hub/azure-ai-foundry-agent Connect your AI Agent to your Function: update the "AIProjectConnString" value to include your Project connection string from the project overview page of in the AI Foundry. Role Based Access Controls: We have to add a role for the function app on OpenAI service. Role-based access control for Azure OpenAI - Azure AI services | Microsoft Learn Enable Managed Identity on the Function App Grant "Cognitive Services OpenAI Contributor" role to the System-assigned managed identity to the Function App in the Azure OpenAI resource Grant "Azure AI Developer" role to the System-assigned managed identity for your Function App in the Azure AI Project resource from the AI Foundry Build a Flow in Power Platform: Before you begin, make sure you are working in the same environment you will use to create your CoPilot Studio agent. To get started, navigate to the Power Platform (https://make.powerapps.com) to build out a flow that connects your Copilot Studio solution to your Azure Function App. When creating a new flow, select 'Build an instant cloud flow' and trigger the flow using 'Run a flow from Copilot'. Add an HTTP action to call the Function using the URL and pass the message prompt from the end user with your URL. The output of your function is plain text, so you can pass the response from your Azure AI Agent directly to your Copilot Studio solution. Create Your Copilot Studio Agent: Navigate to Microsoft Copilot Studio and select 'Agents', then 'New Agent'. Make sure you are in the same environment you used to create your cloud flow. Now select ‘Create’ button at the top of the screen From the top menu, navigate to ‘Topics’ and ‘System’. We will open up the ‘Conversation boosting’ topic. When you first open the Conversation boosting topic, you will see a template of connected nodes. Delete all but the initial ‘Trigger’ node. Now we will rebuild the conversation boosting agent to call the Flow you built in the previous step. Select 'Add an Action' and then select the option for existing Power Automate flow. Pass the response from your Custom Agent to the end user and end the current topic. My existing Cloud Flow: Add action to connect to existing Cloud Flow: When this menu pops up, you should see the option to Run the flow you created. Here, mine does not have a very unique name, but you see my flow 'Run a flow from Copilot' as a Basic action menu item. If you do not see your cloud flow here add the flow to the default solution in the environment. Go to Solutions > select the All pill > Default Solution > then add the Cloud Flow you created to the solution. Then go back to Copilot Studio, refresh and the flow will be listed there. Now complete building out the conversation boosting topic: Make Agent Available in M365 Copilot: Navigate to the 'Channels' menu and select 'Teams + Microsoft 365'. Be sure to select the box to 'Make agent available in M365 Copilot'. Save and re-publish your Copilot Agent. It may take up to 24 hours for the Copilot Agent to appear in M365 Teams agents list. Once it has loaded, select the 'Get Agents' option from the side menu of Copilot and pin your Copilot Studio Agent to your featured agent list Now, you can chat with your custom Azure AI Agent, directly from M365 Copilot! Conclusion: By following these steps, you can successfully integrate custom Azure AI Agents with Copilot Studio and M365 Copilot, enhancing you’re the utility of your existing platform and improving operational efficiency. This integration allows you to automate tasks, streamline processes, and provide better user experience for your end-users. Give it a try! Curious of how to bring custom models from your AI Foundry to your CoPilot Studio solutions? Check out this blogMicrosoft Copilot Studio: Créer et déployer un chatbot
Qu’est-ce que Copilot Studio ? Copilot Studio est un outil faisant parti de Microsoft 365 qui permet de créer facilement des Chatbots. Un Agent Copilot est capable de discuter avec les utilisateurs en langage naturel. Ils peuvent répondre à des questions, guider les utilisateurs ou même déclencher des actions comme envoyer un courriel ou récupérer des données. Un outil sans code Avec Copilot, pas besoin d’avoir une connaissance en programmation. Son interface est simple, on peut écrire des questions, définir des réponses, ajouter des boutons et même le connecter à d’autres services comme Power Automate, SharePoint ou la Dataverse. Un grand avantage : Décrire pour créer Avec Copilot Studio, on peut décrire en quelque lignes ce que l’on veut que notre chatbot fasse, et Copilot Studio génère automatiquement un chatbot de base avec des sujets et des réponses. Exemple : « Tu es un assistant virtuel pour les étudiants d’une université. Tu réponds aux questions sur les horaires de cours, l’accès à la bibliothèque, les inscriptions, et les coordonnées du secrétariat. » Copilot Vs Chatbot classique Contrairement à un simple chatbot basé sur des mots-clés, un Agent Copilot peut : Comprendre le langage naturel S’adapter aux différentes manières de poser une question Se connecter à des données personnalisées. Être déployé sur plusieurs canaux comme Microsoft Teams, Power Apps, site web, etc… Exemple concret : Un responsable d’un projet d’étudiant qui veut créer un assistant virtuel pour répondre aux questions fréquentes sur le projet : Quels sont les horaires de la bibliothèque ? Comment envoyer un rapport final ? Qui est le coordinateur pédagogique ? En quelque minutes, on pourrait créer un agent Copilot qui répond à toutes ces questions. C’est ça l’utilité de Copilot Studio. Créer Un Copilot Agent Accéder à Copilot Studio - Depuis votre navigateur préfère (Edge, Chrome…) - Ouvrir la page : https://copilotstudio.microsoft.com - Connectez-vous à votre compte Microsoft (Scolaire ou professionnel) - Une fois connecté, vous arrivez sur le tableau de bord - Dans la fenêtre de chat, sous Décrire votre assistant pour le créer, mettons ce texte - Vous êtes un assistant qui aide à répondre aux questions sur les déplacements en toute sécurité dans le pays et à l’international. Veuillez répondre poliment. - Avec ceci, Copilot Studio crée un assistant qui comprend déjà les thèmes, et que l’on peut ensuite personnaliser. D’ici l’assistant est presque prêt, dans la conversation, Copilot nous suggère un nom pour notre assistant Conseiller Sécurité Voyage. On peut confirmer ceci si le nom nous va. - On met « Ok » dans la case de conversation et tapé sur Entré - Sélectionner le bouton Créer pour continuer A ce niveau, Copilot Studio nous configure notre chatbot et nous redirige vers la page de configuration. Sur cette nouvelle page, on peut modifier certaines parties comme le nom du chatbot, les instructions, ajouter des connaissances, des déclencheurs, des requêtes et autres. Descendons un peut vers le bas pour ajouter des connaissances et activer l’option Recherche sur le Web. Dans la fenêtre Ajouter des connaissances, on sélectionne Sites web publics et taper ceci (https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/ ) dans la case Lien du site web public puis taper sur ajouter ensuite taper sur Ajouter à l’assistant pour fermer la fenêtre. Tester et déployer Copilot Maintenant notre Copilot est prêt. Dans la partie Tester votre assistant, on peut tester le chatbot voir si la connaissance ajoutée fonctionne bien. Avec le teste fait dans cette démo, l’assistant nous retour une réponse avec des liens redirigeant vers le site ajouté a la liste des connaissances. Selon les réponses données par l’assistant ou le chatbot, on peut corriger les sujets si nécessaire. Ce test permet d’assurer que notre chatbot comprend bien l’utilisateur et répond de manière utile. Notre chatbot est prêt, on peut le publier. - Cliquez sur Publier en haut à droite. - La publication prend quelques secondes. Maintenant le chatbot est prêt à être utiliser dans d’autres plateformes ou canaux. On peut l’ajouter à Microsoft Teams, à un site web, à SharePoint et autre plateforme. Conclusion Créer un Copilot personnalisé avec Microsoft Copilot Studio, c’est à la portée de tous même sans expérience en développement. En un bout de temps, on peut : - Décrire l’assistant en un phrase simple - Laisser l’intelligence artificielle générer les sujets de discussion - Ajouter des réponses et des actions - Le tester, le publier et le déployer sur Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, site web et autres. Curieux d’exploiter l’univers de l’intelligence artificielle, Copilot Studio est un excellent point de départ pour apprendre à créer des expériences interactives utiles et modernes. Pourquoi ne pas créer ton premier Copilot dès aujourd’hui ? Pour plus d’information, aller sur la page de Microsoft Learn : https://learn.microsoft.com/fr-fr/microsoft-copilot-studio/New Microsoft Applied Skill Alert – Create Agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio (APL-7008)
Hi Friends👋 If you’ve been demoing Copilot Studio in your classes, here’s a quick way to validate and showcase those agent-building skills—without sitting a full certification exam. Why grab this micro-credential? Hands-on, half-day lab — prove you can build, publish & govern generative-AI agents end-to-end. Instant résumé boost — digital badge drops into Credly the moment you pass. Perfect add-on to PL-300/PL-400/PL-700 prep or any Power Platform course you teach. Lab tasks you’ll master Design the agent persona & generative AI instructions Build topics, variables & rich dialogues (Adaptive Cards included!) Call Dataverse data with Power Automate flows Publish to Microsoft Teams & the web, then secure with content moderation Prep in three steps Run the free learning path: Create agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio (9 bite-size modules). Skim the official study guide checklist (APL-7008). Spin up a trial tenant for learners and let them practice before the live lab. Ready? 👉 Copilot Studio Applied Skill Let’s keep empowering our students (and ourselves) to build the next generation of AI agents inside Microsoft 365. If you earn the badge, drop it below—would love to celebrate your win! 🏆 #CopilotStudio #AppliedSkills #PowerPlatform #GenerativeAIMastering Agent Governance in Microsoft 365
The "Mastering Agent Governance in Microsoft 365" series is based on the Administering and Governing Agents whitepaper published by Microsoft and designed to educate IT leaders, compliance officers, and decision-makers about the importance of governance for AI agents in Microsoft 365, particularly in highly regulated industries like Healthcare and Life Sciences (HLS). The six-episode series cover the growing role of agents, the risks of unmanaged agents, and the strategic importance of governance frameworks. Empowering innovation while protecting patient data and ensuring compliance In the age of AI-powered productivity, agents—automated digital assistants built with tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot, SharePoint, and Copilot Studio—are transforming how work gets done. From streamlining clinical documentation to automating regulatory reporting, agents are becoming indispensable in Healthcare and Life Sciences (HLS). But with great power comes great responsibility. Why Governance Can’t Be an Afterthought In highly regulated industries like HLS, where data sensitivity and compliance are paramount, the rise of autonomous agents introduces new risks: Unauthorized data access could expose protected health information (PHI). Unmonitored agent behavior could lead to regulatory violations. Lack of lifecycle controls could result in outdated or insecure agents operating in production environments. Agent governance isn’t just an IT concern—it’s a business imperative. It ensures that innovation doesn’t outpace compliance, and that every agent deployed aligns with organizational policies, security standards, and regulatory frameworks like HIPAA, GDPR, and FDA 21 CFR Part 11. Understanding the Agent Landscape Microsoft 365 supports a spectrum of agent creators: End Users using SharePoint or Copilot templates to automate simple tasks. Makers building more complex agents in Copilot Studio. Developers crafting sophisticated, enterprise-grade agents with Azure AI and Teams Toolkit. Each persona requires a different level of oversight. For example, a clinical researcher using SharePoint to build a data retrieval agent may need minimal governance, while a developer building a patient-facing chatbot must adhere to strict data protection and validation protocols. Governance in Action Microsoft provides a layered governance model: Tool Controls: Define what agent creators can do within tools like Copilot Studio and SharePoint. Content Controls: Ensure agents only access data they’re authorized to use, leveraging Microsoft Purview for sensitivity labeling and DLP. Agent Management: Monitor usage, enforce lifecycle policies, and block non-compliant agents via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This framework allows organizations to empower innovation while maintaining control—critical in environments where patient safety and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. The Business Case for Governance For HLS organizations, agent governance delivers tangible benefits: Reduced compliance risk through proactive policy enforcement. Improved operational efficiency by enabling safe automation. Greater trust from patients, regulators, and internal stakeholders. In short, governance is the foundation that allows agents to scale safely and sustainably.Leveraging Copilot Studio to Create Powerful Web Focused Bots for Designated Roles
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital transformation, tools that simplify complex processes and empower users with minimal coding expertise are becoming increasingly essential. One such groundbreaking tool is Copilot Studio, a versatile platform that enables the creation of web-focused bots designed for specific roles within an organization. By leveraging the power of generative AI, Copilot Studio not only streamlines the development process but also enhances the capabilities of these bots, making them indispensable assets in the modern workplace.
Ignite 2024: Streamlining AI Development with an Enhanced User Interface, Accessibility, and Learning Experiences in Azure AI Foundry portal
Announcing Azure AI Foundry, a unified platform that simplifies AI development and management. The platform portal (formerly Azure AI Studio) features a revamped user interface, enhanced model catalog, new management center, improved accessibility and learning, making it easier than ever for Developers and IT Admins to design, customize, and manage AI apps and agents efficiently.Microsoft AI Tour Live
Go behind the scenes with interviews and an inside view at select Microsoft AI Tour city events - starting with Mexico City. Akosua Boadi-Agyemang and Karuana Gatimu bring you exclusive interviews and insights from speakers, partners, and MVPs gathered together to share what they know about AI, Copilot, and more.
how to make custom created copilot to appear in the list of "Start with a new template"?
Hello Everyone, Thank you so much in advance for your response and help. I have created custom copilot in Copilot studio. And I want to make it appear in the list of other below mentioned templates in the section of "Start with a new templates" beside safe travels, store operations, weather etc. is there any way to make it appear there with other templates? Thank you. please reply to this thread if anyone knows! I really appreciate it.. #copilot #template
