Microsoft Ignite 2025: The next wave of AI
Microsoft's Ignite 2025 conference, held November 17-21, spotlighted autonomous AI agents—basically digital workers that can handle tasks, assemble software solutions, and act with intent, though still requiring human oversight.
The event set the stage for how AI could reshape the way big companies develop and run software.
Meet Agent 365: Digital workers get real
Microsoft introduced Agent 365, a platform for managing these AI agents just like real employees.
Each agent gets its own identity and permissions, so they can be securely onboarded, tracked, and managed at scale.
Unlike old-school bots, these agents understand context and act with intent—not just following scripts.
Foundry & IQ tools: Smarter agents without coding
The new Foundry platform brings together over 1,400 tools to let AI agents connect services without anyone having to code from scratch.
Tools like Work IQ and Fabric IQ help these agents learn company workflows and remember what matters most—making them more adaptable than ever before.