Beyond Copilot: Building AI That Works in the Real World with Azure AI Foundry and Agentic AI for Frontline Workers with Fergus Kidd [MVP] - M365.FM

Topics in this episode

Azure Automation agents #AgenticAI azuresearch

Episode notes

In this episode of the M365 Show, Mirko Peters speaks with Fergus Kidd, Microsoft MVP, Co-Founder and CTO of FieldPal AI, about moving enterprise AI beyond the desk. While much of the conversation around Microsoft Copilot, generative AI and productivity focuses on knowledge workers, Fergus makes the case for the people maintaining infrastructure, repairing equipment, carrying out inspections and keeping essential services running. These frontline teams often work with limited connectivity, limited screen time and an overwhelming amount of paperwork - yet they have some of the clearest opportunities for meaningful AI impact. FROM EXOMARS TO EDGE AI Fergus shares how his early work on the camera software for the ExoMars rover helped shape his approach to AI. A rover operating far from Earth has to work with constrained hardware, communication delays and a need to make decisions close to where the work happens. Those principles are surprisingly relevant for today’s field workers: technicians at wind farms, engineers on industrial sites and service teams on the road cannot rely on a stable connection or a laptop at every moment.