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https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/685  

What happens when you've witnessed artificial intelligence evolve from academic skepticism to world-changing technology? Bill, Technical Director at Flow Simulation and Microsoft MVP since 2018, takes us through his remarkable 30-year journey working with computers and AI systems since the 1990s.

TAKEAWAYS
• First awarded MVP in 2018
• Regularly speaks at international conferences about Microsoft 365, AI and Azure
• Started with expert systems in the 1990s when neural networks temporarily fell out of favor
• Witnessed the breakthrough of transformer architecture that revolutionized language models
• Traces the evolution from GPT-2 through ChatGPT to today's multimodal models
• Discusses potential future directions including copyright concerns and AI self-improvement
• Values GitHub Copilot as a practical time-saving tool that amplifies productivity
• Appreciates MVP program benefits including direct access to Microsoft product teams
• Values the MVP community connections with technically-minded professionals worldwide

For anyone navigating today's AI-powered world, Bill's experienced voice offers invaluable context that connects past developments to our possible futures. 

OTHER RESOURCES:
👉 Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 

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Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

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FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/684 

The technological landscape is shifting beneath our feet, and those who fail to adapt risk being left behind. This stark reality forms the backbone of our latest episode, where we explore the concept that "AI is coming for the unmotivated" - perhaps the most crucial wake-up call of our professional generation.

TAKEAWAYS
• Recent experiences at ColorCloud event in Hamburg and during Spain's massive power outage
• Chris announces his new role at Cloud Lighthouse and ANS
• Microsoft Build conference schedule reveals heavy emphasis on AI with minimal business apps content
• The rise of "digital workforce" as a concept at major tech companies
• "AI is coming for the unmotivated" - why continuous learning is crucial for survival
• How an entire app was built using only AI prompts during a recent prompt-a-thon
• The concept of "information communism" illustrated through a real-world translation service example
• How professionals resist technological change rather than adapting their business models
• The need for "tragic imagination" to honestly confront the challenges ahead
• Why mundane, repetitive jobs will be the first to be replaced by digital workers

Don't hesitate to share your perspective with us. Stay connected for more innovative ideas and strategies to enhance your software estate. Until next time, keep pushing the boundaries and creating value.

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If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

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FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/683

Danielle Moon shares her journey founding Women in Power, a community that grew from noticing just eight women among 80 professionals at a Microsoft event to a thriving global network of 930+ members in less than a year.

TAKEAWAYS
• Starting with vulnerability and a "just start" mentality rather than waiting for perfect conditions
• Building a community focused on connecting women across geographical boundaries who often experience isolation in their tech teams
• Creating mentoring rings, skill-building opportunities, and networking events worldwide
• Addressing the tendency for women to operate as "lone wolves" rather than leveraging collective strength
• Evolving beyond the Power Platform to emphasize soft skills that remain valuable in an AI-centered world
• Encouraging cross-learning between technical experts and those with relationship-building strengths
• Celebrating small victories while aiming for world domination

Whether you're a Power Platform professional seeking community or someone interested in building more inclusive tech spaces, this conversation offers valuable insights on creating tables where everyone can thrive. How might you apply these community-building principles in your professional sphere?

OTHER RESOURCES:
👉Women in Power (Platform): https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14423833/  

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

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FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/682

Microsoft MVP Tiffany Songvilay shares her perspective on embracing technological change and preparing for an AI-powered future in the workplace. She explains her philosophy that fighting against inevitable change drains energy while adapting to Microsoft's vision positions professionals for success.

TAKEAWAYS
• Tiffany focuses on "whatever's new with Microsoft," currently evangelizing for Copilot while maintaining expertise in SharePoint and Viva
• Building prompt engineering skills is essential for thriving in an AI world—crafting sophisticated prompts that improve quality rather than just saving time
• AI will likely make certain jobs irrelevant rather than "taking" them, particularly impacting white-collar professions like legal and consulting
• Corporate communications, legal, and risk management are seeing significant benefits from Copilot implementation
• AI helps overcome task procrastination by making challenging work less intimidating
• Future developments may eliminate the need for traditional data structures like lists, fundamentally changing information architecture
• The MVP program's value comes from building relationships with product teams and advocating for client needs

Ready to embrace AI rather than fight against it? Listen now to discover how you can position yourself for success in Microsoft's AI-powered future—and perhaps reclaim your work-life balance in the process.
 
OTHER RESOURCES:
👉 Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

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FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/681  
 
The team explores the ethical implications of teaching AI jailbreaking techniques and conducting red team testing on large language models, balancing educational value against potential misuse. They dive into personal experiments with bypassing AI safeguards, revealing both creative workarounds and robust protections in modern systems. 
 
TAKEAWAYS 
• Debate on whether demonstrating AI vulnerabilities is responsible education or potentially dangerous knowledge sharing 
• Psychological impact on security professionals who regularly simulate malicious behaviors to test AI safety 
• Real examples of attempts to "jailbreak" AI systems through fantasy storytelling and other creative prompts 
• Legal gray areas in AI security testing that require dedicated legal support for organizations 
• Personal experiences with testing AI guardrails on different models and their varying levels of protection 
• Future prediction that Microsoft's per-user licensing model may shift to consumption-based as AI agents replace human tasks 
• Growth observations about Microsoft's Business Applications division reaching approximately $8 billion 
• Discussion of how M365 Copilot is transforming productivity, particularly for analyzing sales calls and customer interactions 

Check out this episode for more deep dives into AI safety, security, and the future of technology in business.

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Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

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FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/680

 Microsoft's AI landscape has evolved into three distinct categories: Copilot for Microsoft 365 (M365) applications, Copilot Studio for low-code chatbot development, and Azure AI Foundry (formerly AI Studio) for pro-code flexibility with AI models. Join Nanddeep Nachan on today's Power Platform Show to learn more.

TAKEAWAYs
• Declarative agents provide the simplest approach to extending Copilot functionality without complex licensing
• Teams toolkit in Visual Studio Code offers an easy way to create declarative agents using simple JSON configurations
• Copilot Studio gives business users a drag-and-drop interface for creating virtual assistants quickly
• Azure AI Foundry provides comprehensive tools for developers and data scientists building advanced AI solutions
• Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) pattern bridges the gap between LLMs and organization-specific data
• Contract management use cases demonstrate how AI can extract insights from millions of documents
• Graph RAG pattern enables "global queries" that deliver insights across entire document collections
• AI Foundry solutions can be deployed directly to websites, Teams apps, or Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Despite impressive personal productivity gains, many organizations still struggle to find compelling enterprise-level use cases for Copilot

🔴 Books: 
➟ Mastering SharePoint Framework (BPB Publications), Amazon bestseller - https://www.amazon.ca/Mastering-Sharepoint-Framework-Easy-Follow/dp/938932887X 
➟ Understanding Hybrid Environments in SharePoint 2019 (Apress) - https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4842-6050-0 
➟ Up and Running on Microsoft Viva Connections (Apress) - https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4842-8606-7 

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/679

Caroline Kallin shares her journey from finance to becoming a Microsoft MVP, revealing how curiosity and a passion for efficiency led her to specialize in digital workspace adoption and change management strategies during the pandemic.

TAKEAWAYS
• Working as a change and adoption driver at XOBE in Sweden
• Started in finance but always gravitated toward technology and efficiency improvements
• Became the first to roll out Teams during the pandemic which sparked her career pivot
• First awarded MVP status in 2024 after speaking at and organizing a Teams conference
• Focuses on Microsoft 365 and Copilot adoption strategies
• Emphasizes both top-down and bottom-up approaches to successful technology adoption
• Creates custom champion programs by identifying existing power users through admin data
• Addresses fears about AI replacing jobs with a pragmatic perspective
• Believes not everyone needs advanced AI skills, but organizations need people who can drive the adoption
• Values the supportive MVP community as the best part of the experience

OTHER RESOURCES:
👉 Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/678  

We dive deep into the journey of Wim Coorevits, Microsoft's Community Lead for Business Apps, exploring his evolution from Belgian developer to global Microsoft innovator and the changing landscape of business applications.

TAKEAWAYS
• Started career as a developer in a marketing agency, discovering his passion for bridging technology and business
• Became a .NET trainer surrounded by MVPs who inspired his community involvement
• Earned MVP status in the Dynamics CRM space through sharing knowledge and expertise
• Transitioned to pre-sales, leveraging broad Microsoft technology knowledge to solve business problems
• Joined Microsoft as a Partner Technology Strategist before making the leap to product marketing
• Relocated from Belgium to the US for a role with Office 365 before finding his way to Power Platform
• Became known for creating demos shown "on every single stage in the world" during Power Platform's early days
• Now leads the Business Apps community team overseeing evangelism, community forums, advocacy programs, and events
• Team builds demos for keynotes and major events, focusing on real customer scenarios rather than fictional companies
• Currently developing an event tiering strategy to objectively determine how to support the many community events worldwide

Today, Wim's team not only builds the demos you see in major keynotes and launch events but also manages the forums, advocacy programs, and community engagement that sustain the vibrant Business Apps ecosystem. His insights into how Microsoft determines which community events to support and the challenges of scaling community engagement provide a rare glimpse into the strategy behind Microsoft's community presence. 

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/677

Pavan Mani Deep Yaragani, a first-time Microsoft MVP from Singapore, shares his journey from blogging about Power Platform technologies to earning MVP recognition in 2024. His story reveals how finding your specialty and consistently creating high-quality technical content can lead to community recognition and MVP status.

TAKEAWAYS
• Started career at HCL Technologies as a Dynamics 365 professional directly after college
• Currently works as assistant lead engineer and manager in healthcare, focusing on model-driven Power Apps and Power BI
• Earned Microsoft's "Top 10 Bloggers" recognition for several consecutive months
• Blogs primarily about new Power Platform features, testing them in trial and preview accounts
• Recently organized an online AI boot camp in Singapore with 30-35 participants
• Recommends finding a niche skill where you can contribute consistently for 1-2 years
• Was nominated for MVP by Golokan Mishtan from Singapore
• Credits the 90-day mentoring challenge as boosting his MVP journey

OTHER RESOURCES:
👉 Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP
👉GitHub: https://github.com/pavanmanideep 
👉Personal GitHub: https://pavanmanideep.github.io/ 

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/676  

Andrew Welch, Chris Huntingford, and William Dorrington explore the gap between marketed AI capabilities and technical reality, highlighting how "autonomous agents" often lack true orchestration and memory needed for genuine autonomy.

TAKEAWAYS
• Home gym innovation with resistance training that uses AI to adjust to your goals and fatigue levels
• Analysis of the US AI policy focusing on "US-made AI" compared to more detailed EU and UK frameworks
• The increasing fracturing of the global technology landscape with nations prioritizing domestic innovation
• Calling out marketing hype around "autonomous agents" that are merely deterministic automation with fancy names
• The critical need for memory capabilities in AI to enable true contextual understanding
• How delegation skills will become essential as we move toward more capable AI systems
• Creative workflows using Copilot for structuring ideas while preserving unique voice

Support the show

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith