Building Microsoft AI Agents - Which Tool Should You Use?



AI Summary

Summary of Video Transcript: Building AI Agents with Microsoft Tools

Types of Agents on Microsoft Platform

  • Microsoft 365 Co-pilot Extension: Paid service, integrated with Microsoft 365, limited control but easy to use.
  • Standalone Custom AI Agent: Not connected to Microsoft 365, more control, suitable for external or custom solutions.

Skill Levels for Building Agents

  • Agent Builder: For end-users, natural language, simple rules, and macros.
  • Co-pilot Studio: For low-code makers, drag-and-drop interface, no coding required.
  • Code First Tools: For developers, deep control over language models and user experience.

Anatomy of Building an Agent

  • Instructions: Define behavior and tone of the agent.
  • Knowledge: Connect to documents, websites, SharePoint lists, databases.
  • Action Triggers: Workflows and autonomous actions.
  • Orchestrator: Decision-making for topic selection and behavior.
  • Foundational Models: Underlying AI models from various providers.
  • User Experience: Chat interface or background automation.

Extending Microsoft 365 Co-pilot

  • Declarative Agents: Limited control, use Microsoft’s foundational model and UI.
  • Internal Use: Authenticated with Microsoft work account, cannot be used externally.
  • Control Over: Instructions, knowledge, and actions within Microsoft 365 Co-pilot.

Building Custom Agents

  • Greater Control: Over knowledge, workflows, models, and channels.
  • Internal and External Use: Can be published on various channels.
  • Tools: Co-pilot Studio for low-code development, Azure AI Foundry for code-first approach.

Co-pilot Studio

  • Templates: Start with pre-built templates for common scenarios.
  • Autonomous Agents: Agents that act without human intervention.
  • Publishing Channels: Over 15 channels for both internal and external use.

Azure AI Foundry

  • Customization: Bring in specific data models or search indexes.
  • Complete Control: Over the entire stack, including data model and user experience.

Choosing the Right Tool

  • Considerations: Type of agent, skill set, level of control desired.
  • Flexibility: Start with one tool and extend or integrate with others as needed.

Detailed Instructions and URLs

  • No specific CLI commands, website URLs, or detailed instructions were provided in the transcript.