FYAI: How to leverage AI to reimagine cross-functional collaboration with Yina Arenas

At Microsoft Build 2025, the spotlight was on reinventing the software development lifecycle with innovative new capabilities that are transforming our approach to AI.

AI agents are revolutionising both enterprise workflows and scientific research, fundamentally altering how developers engage in software creation and how businesses function.

• 15 million developers are leveraging GitHub Copilot, utilising features like agent mode and code review to streamline repetitive tasks, freeing them up to immerse themselves in the more imaginative aspects of software development.
• Hundreds of thousands of users are benefiting from Microsoft 365 Copilot, enhancing research, brainstorming, and the development of solutions, which promotes greater productivity.
• In excess of 230,000 organisations—including a remarkable 90% of the Fortune 500—have turned to Microsoft Copilot Studio to develop AI agents and automations aimed at boosting productivity and scaling operations swiftly.
• Over 11,000 AI models are now accessible via Azure AI Foundry, featuring both Microsoft-hosted and partner-hosted offerings. This extensive array of AI models serves as an unmatched resource for organisations to innovate and broaden their AI-driven solutions.

In this feature of FYAI, where we explore AI trends with Microsoft leaders, we hear from Yina Arenas, Vice President of Product at Azure AI Foundry. She’s spearheading efforts at Microsoft to equip every developer to shape the future with generative AI through cutting-edge models and enterprise AI agents.

In this Q&A, Yina delves into the evolving AI landscape, addressing why companies often find themselves stuck in the “proof of concept” stage and how Azure AI Foundry can elevate their AI initiatives.

What shifts in the AI landscape are you observing that are fundamentally changing how people—and organisations—develop and scale AI?

We’re observing a significant transition from viewing AI as a research experiment to recognising it as a fundamental business asset. The exciting yet challenging aspect is that businesses are no longer merely asking, “Can we implement this?” but rather “How can we execute this safely, at scale, and with tangible outcomes?” This change necessitates new tools, updated mindsets, and innovative collaboration methods across teams. At Microsoft, our goal is to make AI accessible and inclusive, empowering everyone—from developers to domain specialists—to partake in creating meaningful solutions. It’s not solely about technology; it’s about equipping individuals to resolve real-world challenges using AI.

Why do businesses struggle to transition from experimentation to production with AI—and what changes are necessary to unlock the next wave of value?

Many organisations find themselves hindered in the “proof of concept” stage because progressing to production can be intricate. It involves not only selecting an appropriate model but also integrating it into existing systems, ensuring security and accountability, and aligning it with business objectives. What is often lacking is a seamless, end-to-end strategy that unifies the right tools, governance, and teamwork within a developer-friendly context. Here is where Azure AI Foundry shines—it aims to help teams accelerate their efforts while adopting a thoughtful approach by providing a comprehensive platform alongside traceability throughout prompts, models, and runtime behaviours. We strive to simplify the app development process for developers, while simultaneously enabling business leaders to evaluate performance, measure ROI, and adhere to compliance standards. To unlock the next level of value, we must promote collaboration, transparency, and an outcomes-based approach in AI development.

How does Azure AI Foundry bridge that gap—and what distinguishes it from other approaches?

Azure AI Foundry is tailored to meet organisations at their respective stages—whether they are beginning their AI journey or expanding it across the enterprise. It consolidates the best of Microsoft’s AI capabilities, from foundational models to orchestration and monitoring, into a single platform. What makes Azure AI Foundry unique is not just that it builds on decades of exceptional research but also that it places humans at its core. Thus, whether you are a data scientist, product manager, engineer, or business leader, our AI solutions are designed with you in mind. Moreover, it incorporates responsible AI principles from the outset, featuring tools that span testing, monitoring, and governance, supporting the entire lifecycle of AI solutions.

Who is Azure AI Foundry designed for, and how does it foster cross-functional collaboration—from data scientists to decision-makers?

Azure AI Foundry is aimed at anyone wishing to elevate their AI projects—be it within large enterprises, startups, or software development firms. It grants access to leading frontier models, integrates orchestration frameworks, supports open protocols for multi-agent teamwork, and houses native observability tools—all within a secure and governed setting. Whether it’s enhancing call centres, analysing data, refining product searches, or automating workflows, Azure AI Foundry consolidates everything—models, tools, and agents—into one intuitive platform. With tools like GitHub, Visual Studio, and Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry facilitates a smoother journey for developers, data scientists, IT professionals, and decision-makers from idea to production.

Where is Azure AI Foundry making a difference—and what transformations are customers experiencing?

Azure AI Foundry has become the nexus for developing, orchestrating, and managing AI solutions, serving as a pivotal element of our AI platform strategy. Currently, it is utilised by developers within over 70,000 enterprises and software firms, including Atomicwork, Epic, Fujitsu, Gainsight, H&R Block, and LG Electronics, to design, personalise, and oversee their AI applications and agents. In just six months, over 10,000 organisations have harnessed the Azure AI Foundry Agent Service to create, deploy, and scale their AI agents effectively. Developers are crafting agents that think, act, and provide measurable business outcomes.

Heineken has harnessed Azure AI Foundry to create a multi-agent platform named “Hoppy,” enabling employees to effortlessly access data and tools in their own language. This implementation has already saved invaluable time, slashing tasks that took 20 minutes down to a mere 20 seconds.

Fujitsu applied the Azure AI Foundry Agent Service to automate the creation of sales proposals, resulting in a productivity boost of 67%, enabling teams to focus more on engaging with customers. The AI agent seamlessly integrates with established Microsoft tools, aiding approximately 38,000 employees in gathering widely dispersed knowledge and paving the way for broader AI-driven innovation.

Draftwise, a digital native offering an AI-powered contract drafting and review platform, is leveraging cutting-edge models in Azure AI Foundry (Cohere multimodal and AOAI reasoning) to streamline the contract drafting process, integrating with law firms’ document storage systems.

What excites you about the future of Azure AI Foundry and how people can reimagine their work and creativity with AI?

The most thrilling aspect of what lies ahead for Azure AI Foundry is the new era of creativity and empowerment it is unlocking—not just for developers, but for everyone involved. We are evolving from the concept of AI as a tool to one where AI acts as a co-creator alongside users. Azure AI Foundry empowers individuals to imagine and create agents that grasp their objectives, adapt to their workflows, and evolve according to their needs.

This transformation—from coding to orchestrating intelligence—is revolutionary. It allows product managers, marketers, or frontline workers to determine how AI serves them, without requiring expertise in machine learning. It’s about democratizing AI, putting this power into the hands of many rather than a select few.

What’s particularly inspiring is that we are merely at the beginning of this journey. The agents currently being built are addressing real challenges—automating intricate processes, speeding up insights, and liberating time for more meaningful endeavours. However, the upcoming agents promise to be collaborators in innovation, partners in problem-solving, and catalysts for breakthroughs we have yet to envision.

That’s the future I foresee—currently under construction by individuals who are redefining the possibilities with AI.

Design, customise, and manage AI apps and agents at scale

With visionaries like Yina Arenas at the helm, Microsoft’s future outlook for AI is both uplifting and deeply user-centric. Platforms like Azure AI Foundry signal the dawn of a new era where AI transitions from being merely a tool to becoming a genuine collaborator—empowering all, regardless of their technical background, to innovate and tackle real-world challenges. With Azure AI Foundry, the promise of AI is being realised by developers around the globe, igniting transformative change and endless potential.

Keen to discover more? Here are some useful resources: