Moving Beyond Chatbots and Automation

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM FULL SHOW NOTES https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/688 What happens when AI stops being a tool and starts becoming a teammate? In this episode, Ashish Bhatia, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, unpacks the shift from traditional automation to intelligent agents—and what it means for the future of work. From the myth of “autonomous agents” to the real-world challenges of memory, trust, and productivity, this conversation dives deep into the evolving landscape of AI. Whether you're building with Copilot or planning your next AI strategy, this episode will sharpen your perspective on where the tech is headed—and what’s still missing.KEY TAKEAWAYS Agentification is the next evolution of apps: We're moving from reactive chatbots to proactive assistants that can take meaningful action—but we’re still early in that journey. Memory is the missing link: Long-term context retention is essential for agents to become truly useful. Expect major strides in this area by 2025. Autonomous agents are still a myth: Most current “agents” are glorified automations. True autonomy requires reasoning, adaptability, and trust. Model selection will soon be invisible: Expect model routing to become standard, optimizing for cost and performance without user intervention. AI isn’t saving time—yet: While AI boosts output quality, it still requires human oversight. The next leap is reducing the need for constant review. RESOURCES MENTIONED 👉 AI Podcasts  The Wes Roth Podcast – https://www.youtube.com/@WesRoth AI Explained – https://aiexplainedopodcast.buzzsprout.com/2418777  Training Data – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOhHNjZItNnMm5tdW61JpnyxeYH5NDDx8 👉 Tools & Concepts: Copilot Studio – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/fundamentals-what-is-copilot-studio  Operator Model – https://openai.com/index/introducing-operator/  This year we're adding a new show to our line up - The AI Advantage. We'll discuss the skills you need to thrive in an AI-enabled world. DynamicsMinds is a world-class event in Slovenia that brings together Microsoft product managers, industry leaders, and dedicated users to explore the latest in Microsoft Dynamics 365, the Power Platform, and Copilot.Early bird tickets are on sale now and listeners of the Microsoft Innovation Podcast get 10% off with the code MIPVIP144bff https://www.dynamicsminds.com/register/?voucher=MIPVIP144bff Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge We’ve helped 1,300+ people across 70+ countries establish successful careers in the Microsoft Power Platform and Dynamics 365 ecosystem.Benefit from expert guidance, a supportive community, and a clear career roadmap. A lot can change in 90 days, get started today!Support the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith