Announcing a next-generation AI Copilot in Microsoft Power Apps that will transform low-code development

Ryan Cunningham, VP, Power Apps, jeudi 16 mars 2023

Today, we’re announcing a next-generation AI copilot in Microsoft Power Apps that will transform how we build and interact with software applications. With the power of large language models, we are advancing to the next step in the evolution of code abstraction—moving from custom code, to low-code, to natural language authoring where human and machine work side by side to build applications together.

We’re bringing the power of Copilot in Power Apps to both application makers and their end users. Now you can build an app, including the data behind it, just by describing what you need through multiple steps of conversation. What’s more, the apps you create now can have copilot-powered experiences built in from the very first screen—so your users can discover insights in conversation instead of clicks.

Watch it in action and learn more below:

The next step in AI-first development

Power Apps has been a pioneer in AI-centric app development since 2021 when we introduced the first GPT-based features for generating Power Fx from natural language. The product has evolved to generate apps based on uploaded images, format data based on examples, and suggest modifications proactively. Now, we’re bringing the next generation of AI technology to the very first step of application development. Developers will be able to build their business applications through an intuitive natural language conversation with Copilot in Power Apps.

With Copilot in Power Apps, makers can easily start creating an app with a few words in natural language. Imagine it, describe it, and watch Power Apps instantly generate your application, complete with a data table and back-end logic.

Here are just a few examples of natural language prompts you can use:

“Create a time and expense application to enable my employees to submit their time and expense reports.”
“Build an application to automate the manual process of creating and approving customer invoices.”
“Generate an employee onboarding application to capture new hire information and share training content and learning modules.”

From there, a quick conversation with Copilot will make the adjustments your app needs. Need to add columns to your data tables? No problem, Copilot in Power Apps will suggest options and even help you populate them with sample data! Stuck and don’t know where to go next? Copilot will provide proactive recommendations for how you can improve your application.

Supercharging insights with copilot control in your applications

In the same way that conversational AI is transforming app development, next-generation AI is also revolutionizing how users query and interact with their data.

With the copilot control in Power Apps, app makers can give their users the ability to get intelligent insights about the data in their apps through a conversational chat experience. Users can use natural language to create queries and refine their analysis, all with the help of an AI assistant embedded directly in the running app.

Whether a user needs to understand changes in their inventory, estimate average time to complete a task, or explore which of their campaigns drove the most revenue, the copilot control is ready to listen, analyze, and report.

Here are a few examples of natural language prompts your users can use:

“What are the most common reasons an inspection fails?”
“Who are the most active inspectors for that type of issue?”
“Which equipment is most often inspected?”

Native integration of Microsoft Power Virtual Agents chatbots in Power Apps

We are also announcing native integration of AI-empowered Power Virtual Agents into Power Apps. This means that developers can quickly and easily add a next-generation AI-powered Power Virtual Agents bot to their applications. Simply turn on the control, enter the Power Virtual Agents bot schema name, and your bot is ready to support your users.

Your Power Virtual Agents bot will have access to all the latest Power Virtual Agents features including conversation boosters and natural language bot building.

Learn more about next-generation AI across Microsoft

With the announcement of your personal next-generation AI Copilot, building low-code applications in Power Apps has never been this fast, modern, or intelligent. We are entering an unprecedented time where AI is transforming many aspects of our lives and work. From how we communicate, to how we collaborate, to how we learn, AI is empowering us to do more with less. Microsoft is leading the way on our journey toward empowering every person on the planet to build transformative software in a language we naturally understand.

Copilot features are in preview across Microsoft Power Platform and many more products. Are you ready to join the AI low-code revolution and build apps side-by-side with your personal AI Copilot in Power Apps? The future of low-code development starts today.

Imagine it. Describe it. Power Apps builds it. Sign up now to get access.

See all of Microsoft’s Copilot announcements on the Official Microsoft Blog, and learn about other next-generation AI announcements across Microsoft:

Availability

These features are currently available in the United States and English language by signup. Note that these preview features are experimental, and accuracy and relevance cannot be guaranteed.

Responsible AI

Microsoft is committed to creating responsible AI by design. Our work is guided by a core set of principles: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability. We are helping our customers use our AI products responsibly, sharing our learnings, and building trust-based partnerships. For these new services, we provide our customers with information about the intended uses, capabilities, and limitations of our AI platform service, so they have the knowledge necessary to make responsible deployment choices.