AI Agent & Copilot Podcast: The Fundamental Mindset Shift of Copilot Tuning

In this episode of the AI Agent & Copilot Podcast, with the conclusion of the Microsoft Build conference, Shawn Dorward talks about Copilot tuning — what it is, how it works, and how organizations can benefit from it.

This episode is sponsored by the AI Agent & Copilot Summit NA, taking place March 17-19, 2026 in San Diego, California.

Key Takeaways:

• Introducing Copilot tuning: Copilot tuning is a brand-new feature that Microsoft announced at Microsoft Build. It’s set to release in June 2025. It offers the optimistic promise that you can take the expertise of your best and brightest team member and replicate it into Copilot and agents. The voice and vision of your organization can be emulated through AI.
• Copilot tuning defined: Copilot is the UI for AI. Copilot Studio enables users to build agents, which are custom Copilots. As part of Copilot Studio, Copilot tuning enables users to teach their own models how their business thinks and operates. This tuning will automatically be applied to agents. Users can even teach it how to reason over challenges and processes.
• Differences: Previously, users who wanted a customized Copilot had to tell it exactly what to do, step-by-step. This required building flows, triggers, and conditions as well as programming logic. This takes up much time. Copilot tuning teaches the behavior and flips the model. Rather than spelling out what Copilot should do in every situation, it teaches it how to think using real examples from within your business.
• Learning and outcomes: There are various ways the models learn. Learning from your organization’s examples simply involves uploading documents — FAQs, training guides, contracts, and manuals, for instance. Anything with your organization’s voice and expertise, the Copilot model learns from them. It’s learning then applying that knowledge to “tuning recipes,” which are pre-built templates that allow it to guide you through fields like answering questions, summarizing complex documents, and more in your organization’s tone.
• Examples of Copilot tuning:
  • With Copilot tuning, after teaching the model your policies, the agent can respond in a manner that a staff member has previously responded. It will feel more like there’s a human touch.
  • It can be used to review contracts, apply redline guidance, complete compliance checks, and assist with drafting and summarizing the contracts in line with company expectations.
  • Copilot tuning can be applied to the process of creating Word documents or PowerPoint presentations using your brand templates. No more mismatch fonts and no rogue formatting — just clean, on-brand outputs.
• A fundamental mindset shift: Oftentimes, people choose people and pass on AI because it’s not human enough or it feels too generic. With Copilot tuning, you’re embedding your company’s DNA into it so it will feel and sound more like you. For leaders, it’s important to embrace this technology because when AI speaks the language and reflects the standards of your team members, it helps reinforce the culture of your organization. Copilot tuning is not just a feature drop; it’s a fundamental mindset shift.