Unpacking your top questions on agentic AI: The Shift podcast
We’re excited to unveil “The Shift” podcast, which has evolved from “Leading the Shift.” This new format aims to foster more engaging discussions. Based on your feedback from the announcements at Ignite, we’ll be releasing eight episodes this spring.
Every day at Microsoft, I overhear teams discussing the future of agents and the transformative nature of software. As many of us return to the office, I’ve realised just how much I’ve missed those spontaneous chats—whether it’s grabbing coffee and sharing quick thoughts before meetings or engaging in lively debates over lunch that seemingly never ends. The teams behind Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Foundry, and Microsoft Fabric are incredibly passionate about their work. They genuinely care about improving cloud and AI platforms for those who actively use them. These unscripted moments spark some of our most valuable insights. So, how can we capture this enthusiasm?
Today, we are thrilled to launch “The Shift” podcast. This series, an upgrade from “Leading the Shift,” will delve deeper into the topics you raised following the Ignite announcements. Throughout this spring, we’ll be releasing one episode each week, blending perspectives from engineering, product, and strategy. This season focuses on the dynamic theme of agents and explores various aspects all the way up and down the tech stack. Recognising that change is inevitable, “The Shift” creates a platform where we can all share our thoughts freely.
A Glimpse of What’s Coming This Season
Weekly Topics We’ll Dive Into
- Are my agents on the hunt for data?
- How do agents collaborate effectively?
- Wait, does my agent require a database?
- Is context engineering the next big buzzword?
- What senses should my agents possess to operate?
- Is Postgres the future we’ve been waiting for?
- Should my IT team consider hiring agents?
- How do we define the borders for agents?
Agents thrive on collaboration. Their success hinges on how well your data is integrated, how effectively your cloud scales, how your applications synchronise across various systems, and, ultimately, how all of this benefits people. At Microsoft, we view agents as vital components of innovation, succeeding best when various layers of the tech stack meld seamlessly. This is where technical teams face their toughest challenges: observability, governance, security, optimisation, and quality. In essence, it’s a team effort.
Your data strategy influences how well your agents can analyse data. The reliability of your cloud foundation dictates your capabilities. The performance of your agents and AI applications ultimately drives business results. Our talented colleagues featured on The Shift are tackling these interconnected challenges, and what unites them is the belief that everything must work cohesively.
Our opening episode, “Are my agents on the hunt for data?” is launching tomorrow. Join us as we chat with Ronald Chang, Dipti Borkar, Josh Caplan, and Cillian Mitchell from the Microsoft Fabric and Microsoft OneLake teams about the vital role of data preparation in empowering agents with vital knowledge. This discussion is timely, especially with the Microsoft Fabric Community Conference happening next week in Atlanta. I hope you can join us to continue this important conversation.
Don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, RSS.com, or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.
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