Copilot Podcast: How Artificial Intelligence, Data Help Bridge the Gap Between Tech, Business Teams

Welcome to the “Copilot Podcast,” where you’ll learn what’s new in the community and what’s going on in the world of Microsoft Copilot and the AI ecosystem, hosted by Aaron Back. 

In episode 3, Aaron focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) and data and explains how these two technologies, when used together, help bridge the gap between business and tech teams.

This episode is sponsored by Community Summit North America. Register before January 5, 2024, to save with the early bird all-access attendee pass to Community Summit North America 2024. Check out the library of on-demand education sessions from 2023 which are now available. 

Highlights

00:40 —”Data is the new oil, data is like gold,” states Aaron. Specifically, data leads much of the economy, decision-making, purchasing, navigation, and more. As it relates to Microsoft Copilot, Aaron explores the role that data plays in artificial intelligence (AI).

01:05 — Data and AI are so intertwined that we (sometimes) no longer know when data is human or AI-generated. AI needs data to “reason over,” but AI also creates new forms of data with generative AI. “That’s why Microsoft is blurring the lines with its applications.” On the one hand, users have data applications like Microsoft Fabric or Power BI. On the other hand, there are tools like Copilot and Azure AI Studio.

02:10 — With this in mind, how does this empower you, the user? With AI in the mix of these powerful data tools, the tools themselves become much more intuitive and simple to use. Overall, “this really helps folks spot trends and anomalies and really get to that decision-making process much faster.”

03:17 — Still, technical skills are needed when it comes to Azure services, explains Aaron. Aaron explains that for a manager or business leader, this creates an opportunity to foster collaboration between tech teams and business teams. “For me, I see this as a way to continue fueling the creativity and providing solutions, ultimately that help customers of your organization.”

04:26 — A key takeaway of this is that “we are closer now more than ever to closing the gap between business and tech teams.” However, don’t be naive. Aaron emphasizes the importance of strong security and governance policies to ensure AI and data and properly used and protected.