To kick off Community Summit North America 2023, attendees gathered at the JW Marriot on Monday, Oct. 16 for the AI Summit Preconference. The group met to hear from practitioner analysts, User Group Experts, Microsoft executives, and end-users of AI technology to understand why and how generative AI, and more specifically Microsoft Copilots, drive business results.
Additional learning objectives of the day included:
- Defining the role of AI
- Understanding the functionality of Microsoft Copilot
- Outlining how these tools can be applied
- Sharing practical applications of these tools
How Microsoft Is Leading the AI Revolution
The AI Summit Preconference kicked off with a fireside chat between Dynamics Communities Chief Content Officer Aaron Back and Microsoft General Manager of GTM Strategy, Alfredo Ramirez, who discussed the ways in which Microsoft is leading the AI revolution.
Microsoft has maintained a strong position on AI for many years. “To some degree, this is not new,” noted Ramirez. “The level of focus and opportunity is new.” Specifically, offering partners and customers a comprehensive suite of options when it comes to AI has become top of mind. “The way that we see AI helping our partners and customers is primarily in terms of augmenting human capabilities.”
Microsoft’s Partner Group Program Managers Tom Marsh and Ashvini Sharma joined the stage shortly after to outline some critical differentiation between generative AI and traditional notions of AI and machine learning (ML).
Both Marsh and Sharma spoke to the ways in which generative AI allows for greater scalability and faster innovation as well as enables new possibilities, ultimately unlocking an “explosion of creativity” in comparison to traditional AI and ML technologies.
A few striking themes that were apparent in Marsh and Sharma’s on-stage discussion – finding ways to use AI as an ally, generative AI as a means of enhancing project operations, and the cultivation of dynamic content with the use of generative AI.
Later in the afternoon, Marsh and Sharma led a workshop and “Ask Us Anything” session on Microsoft Copilot in the Power Platform.
Practitioner Panel: How Is AI Being Used Today?
The AI Summit Preconference hosted an on-stage panel discussion featuring Sweet Co-Founder Toni Witt, PriceSmart CIO Wayne Sadin, Paragon Films CIO Kenny Mullican, and The Heico Companies Solution Architect Crystal Ahrens.
The panelists discussed the ways in which AI and generative AI directly impact their business operations and duties. “To me, AI has always been… not artificial intelligence, but augmented intelligence… and that’s how we use it,” notes Sadin. Similarly, Ahrens noted how artificial intelligence – within the context of a global manufacturing firm – helps promote efficiency, provides real-time insights, and brings about a “competitive edge.”
Amongst a variety of other topics, panelists touched on the future of artificial intelligence and generative AI, the importance of quality data to generate a quality AI output, as well as maintaining a strong sense of ethics.
Mullican wrapped up by noting how “the best way that you can discover how it is that AI can help your organization is to just get into it and start using it yourself.”
Responsible AI, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT
A few other sessions from the day included “The Tenets of Responsible AI,” led by RSM Solution Architect Kylie Kiser. Kylie emphasized the 6 tenets of Fairness, Reliability & Safety, Privacy & Security, Inclusiveness, Transparency, and Accountability as a means of implementing AI governance within your organizations.
Microsoft’s Beth Burrell then took the stage and dove into “How to use Copilot as a Customer Success Engine.” She clarified the difference between “customer service” and “customer success.” Customer service is providing assistance to customers with help, but customer success is actually meeting customer needs in a successful way.
“What’s next, a look into the future of AI” was the core focus of Cloud Wars Founder Bob Evans. He focused on how companies fall into three categories when it comes to AI – AI Aware, AI Interested, or AI Committed. “AI Aware” is the notion of recognizing that AI is important and knowing what it is, but not really taking any action to adopt it. “AI Interested” is when companies are testing AI and have, maybe, rolled out a couple of AI pilot programs or solutions. “AI Committed” means a company is fully invested in AI as an enabler, a copilot, and a way to dazzle customers.
The agenda for the day also included Innovation Profiles from Karen Wainright, Channel Account Manager, Netstock, and Vidur Amin, CEO, AVO Automation.
Additionally, Dynamics Communities Chief Content Officer Aaron Back wrapped up the AI Summit Preconference with his takeaways from the day. A few of the takeaways that Aaron honed in one are:
- AI’s relevance: More than just a buzzword, artificial intelligence, generative AI, and Microsoft Copilot are here to stay. Its impact is evident and strays from being “over-hyped.”
- Shared understanding: Understanding generative AI technologies and Microsoft Copilot is paramount, especially for users who intend to apply it within the context of your business.
- Regulations: Similar to understanding the technology itself, users should understand the current legislation around generative AI and ensure it is used responsibly.
- Transparency: Understanding the “evolution” of AI is necessary, in the same regard as maintaining accountability for the results that AI provides.
Final Thoughts
The AI Summit Preconference delivered on its intent of aiding users in “getting a grip” on the realities of all things generative AI, in addition to its capabilities within the Dynamics 365 ecosystem. Furthermore, attendees gained an understanding of how Microsoft Copilot can be applied to drive business results, through the various sessions, demos, and workshops offered throughout the entire preconference.
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