MVP Insights: Prashant Bhoyar on AI and Power Platform Involvement, Summit NA Sessions, Tips for Community

Welcome to “MVP Insights,” a podcast that explores the universe, ideas, and opportunities of the brightest stars in the Microsoft business applications ecosystem. 

In episode 23, John Siefert is joined by Prashant Bhoyar, AI Architect – Office of Chief Technology Officer, Applied Information Sciences (AIS). Prashant shares his journey to earning a Microsoft MVP award in 2017 and highlights his deep community involvement and expertise in AI and Power Platform.

This episode is sponsored by Community Summit North America, the largest independent gathering of the Microsoft Business Applications ecosystem, taking place Oct. 13-17, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Register today to connect with thousands of users across the Microsoft business applications ecosystem at the for user, by user event.

Key Takeaways

• MVP journey: Prashant’s community involvement began during his undergraduate studies in India, organizing technical seminars and conferences. After moving to the U.S. and attending SharePoint Saturdays, he became more active in community events, eventually earning a Microsoft MVP award in 2017. His focus shifted to AI and specifically, the Power Platform, leading to the creation of an AI and machine learning user group in 2018 and achieving dual MVP categories in AI and Power Platform between 2021 and 2022.
• Aligning tech with business needs: As an AI architect at Applied Information Sciences, Prashant emphasizes that the focus is on solving customers’ business problems in a cost-effective and secure manner, regardless of the technology used. This approach has led to increased adoption of various Microsoft and other vendor offerings to address business issues.
• Toughest projects: Reflecting on a tough project, Prashant references one from last year. The project involved creating a meaningful demo using generative AI to convince stakeholders of its potential to save time and costs. The challenge was to develop a non-conversational Copilot within an enterprise app to reduce manual tasks from hours to minutes. The solution included a user-friendly review screen to verify AI-extracted data, which impressed stakeholders and is now being applied to various departments.
• Summit NA sessions: Prashant will be leading a two-day Academy class at Community Summit NA 2024, “Crafting Custom Copilots with Copilot Studio, Power Platform, Dynamics 365, ChatGPT, & Azure AI.” The class focuses on hands-on exercises to teach AI, Power Platform, and Microsoft 365, providing trial environments with necessary licenses, with a goal of creating custom Copilots, discussing use cases, and evaluating ROI. On Tuesday, October 15, Prashant will be leading a session, “Crafting Prompts 101: A Comprehensive Introduction for Newcomers in Artificial Intelligence,” in which attendees will learn how to get the best value out of generative AI services. His session “Crafting Intelligent Apps in Just 60 Minutes with Azure AI Studio” will highlight the creation of custom Copilots with Azure AI Studio. Prashant is also leading another single-day Academy class, “Mastering Generative AI: Developing GPTs, Copilots, and AI Assistants.”
• Tips for community: In closing, Prashant shares some tips for users attending Community Summit. Attendees should wear comfortable shoes, stay hydrated, and carry a light backpack for the best experience. For technical content, do your homework, connect with speakers via LinkedIn, and send questions beforehand to build rapport and get tailored content during sessions.

Stream the audio version of this episode here: