031 | M365 Copilot Extensibility: Declarative Agents, Custom Engines, & Work IQ with Paolo Pialorsi

In this episode, Andrew and Julie sit down with Paolo Pialorsi at a Microsoft conference to explore Microsoft 365 Copilot extensibility and the newly announced Work IQ platform. They dive into the three pillars of Copilot extensibility: declarative agents (which leverage Copilot's foundational models and orchestrator), custom engine agents (which give you full control over the model, orchestrator, and customization), and AI apps built with Work IQ that operate outside the Copilot UI. Paolo breaks down how Work IQ differs fundamentally from Microsoft Graph by adding context, memory, and business understanding on top of data, then shares practical guidance on choosing the right path for your scenario.

The conversation covers the microservices-style multi-agent architecture using the agent-to-agent protocol, the Work IQ chat API versus retrieval API, responsible AI guardrails, licensing considerations, and the upcoming Copilot Showroom tool that lets developers explore these APIs without building a full solution. Whether you're getting started with Copilot extensibility or trying to understand when to move from declarative agents to custom engine agents, this episode gives you the mental models and decision trees you need.
CHAPTERS
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00:00: Introduction
02:16: MICROSOFT 365 COPILOT EXTENSIBILITY FUNDAMENTALS
07:00: Declarative Agents vs Custom Engine Agents
13:16: Understanding Licensing and Architectural Decisions
19:47: Introducing Work IQ
25:01: Work IQ vs Microsoft Graph
32:17: REST APIs and the Copilot Showroom Tool
39:23: Resources and Closing Remarks
LINKS
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Microsoft 365 Copilot Extensibility
🔗 A Closer Look at Work IQ https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/a-closer-look-at-work-iq/4499789
🔗 Work IQ Overview https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/copilot/extensibility/workiq-overview
🔗 Declarative Agent Overview https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/copilot/extensibility/overview-declarative-agent

Paolo Pialorsi (Microsoft)
🔗 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/paolopialorsi/
PODCAST
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🔗 https://codedeploygo.live
🔗 LinkedIn 👉 https://aka.codedeploygo.live/yt-linkedin
🔗 Bluesky 👉 https://aka.codedeploygo.live/yt-bluesky
HOSTS
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Julie Turner
🔗 https://julieturner.net/me

Andrew Connell
🔗 LinkedIn 👉 https://aconn.me/pod-cdlg-yt-ac-linkedin
🔗 YouTube 👉 https://aconn.me/pod-cdlg-yt-ac-youtube
🔗 Bluesky 👉 https://aconn.me/pod-cdlg-yt-ac-bluesky
🔗 Newsletter 👉 https://aconn.me/pod-cdlg-yt-ac-newsletter
SPONSORS
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Sympraxis (by Julie Turner)
🔗 Website 👉 https://www.sympraxisconsulting.com/
🔗 Ask Sympraxis 👉 https://symp.info/asksympraxis
🔗 YouTube 👉 https://symp.info/youtube
Voitanos (by Andrew Connell)
🔗 Website 👉 https://vtns.io/pod-cdlg-yt-voitanos
🔗 LinkedIn 👉 https://vtns.io/pod-cdlg-yt-voitanos-linkedin
🔗 Bluesky 👉 https://vtns.io/pod-cdlg-yt-voitanos-bluesky

Music Credit: Ken Bagley

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