Power Virtual Agents to Microsoft Copilot Studio - PVA IS DEAD! ☠

by HubSite 365 about Joe Unwin [MVP] (FlowJoe)

Power Platform Lead @ Hitachi | FTRSA, MVP & MCT

Citizen DeveloperMicrosoft Ignite 2023Microsoft Copilot StudioLearning Selection

From Power Virtual Agents to Microsoft Copilot Studio.

Circa December 2019, Microsoft Power Virtual Agents stepped into the world, unaware of the seismic shifts that lay ahead in the conversational AI and chatbot market.

"When we announced the general availability of Microsoft Power Virtual Agents in December 2019, a little under 4 years ago, we did not imagine the tremendous shifts that have happened in the conversational AI and chatbot market. The advancements within the sphere of large language models that can perform a variety of tasks using AI; including text recognition, generation, translation and more, are not just radically changing what is traditionally known as a chatbot or bot, but fundamentally changing how humans work and interact."

Today, we are announcing Microsoft Copilot Studio, a low-code comprehensive conversational AI solution that unlocks new Copilot capabilities: connect copilot to your data using pre-built or custom plugins and GPTs, create and orchestrate workflows and manage your copilots in one central place and ultimately build standalone copilots for your organization. Copilot for Microsoft 365 customers will be able to use Copilot Studio for customization to provide tailored responses and workflows for unique scenarios. Power Virtual Agents has provided the foundations for and will become part of Copilot Studio, together with Microsoft’s leading conversational AI technologies.

Fast forward, the landscape has morphed phenomenally. Large language models are the new game-changers, transcending the traditionally defined boundaries of bots. They're not only revolutionizing the way we perceive chatbots but also redefining human interaction and work dynamics.

Enter, Generative AI.

In the span of a year, chatbots have been transformed from rule-based reaction machines to intelligent, context-aware conversationalists. Thanks to Generative AI, responses are not just generated, they're crafted, taking cues from the tone, style, and intent of the user. Learning, adapting, and personalizing - the bots have come a long way.

Then we saw Copilots. However, Power Virtual Agents was clearly in the position to handle copilots.

The exciting news? Microsoft JUST announced the change to Microsoft Copilot Studio - a low-code, holistic conversational AI solution that unravels new Copilot capabilities. From connecting with your data to orchestrating workflows and managing your copilots, everything is at your fingertips.

As Copilot becomes a part of the Microsoft 365 family, Copilot Studio will open avenues for customization, crafting responses, and workflows for unique scenarios. Using the underlying technology of Power Virtual Agents, it will enable individuals to utilize already existing knowledge, such as Power FX and will keep the conversational AI torch burning bright, steering Microsoft's leading technologies on their AI journey.