Learning Microsoft Power Apps

Chapter 11. Microsoft Copilot in Power Apps

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology used to develop software and business applications that mimic human intelligence. AI is made up of many algorithms that learn from patterns, analyze and process data, and then produce outcomes based upon it. This process is called machine learning, which is a subfield of AI.

Even if you’re not aware of it, you probably deal with AI daily. AI is already widely used in many facets of our lives, from smartphones to chatbots. Have you ever noticed, when you reply to someone on chat either on LinkedIn or Microsoft Teams or another social media platform, the system automatically suggests possible responses, such as “Thank you!” or “Sounds interesting,” based on the chat conversation you are having with the recipients? This means AI is working behind the scenes.

In early 2023, Microsoft announced its partnership with OpenAI, with an investment of several years and billions of dollars, in order to accelerate the development of AI and ensure that its advantages are widely available to all.

Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Power Platform

Microsoft Power Platform has been on a journey to empower all developers with an AI-powered development experience since 2019, as shown in Figure 11-1.

In 2019, Microsoft boosted its investment in AI. The first effort to integrate AI capabilities into Power Platform was AI Builder, which businesses could use to add intelligent features, such as a business card ...