| OWS25 Preview of Pioneering AI: Microsoft’s Strategic Insights and Future Direction | |
OWS25 Preview of Pioneering AI: Microsoft’s Strategic Insights and Future Direction
As the AI landscape accelerates at breakneck speed, harnessing its potential is crucial for enterprises to maintain a competitive edge. At OWS25, professionals will gain actionable strategies to deploy AI responsibly and effectively from Paul Edlund, Chief Technologist, Midwest at Microsoft, in a not-to-be-missed session.
“This AI era is moving so fast,” Edlund said. “I love being able to talk about what Microsoft is creating and where we see the world headed. I’m grateful the OWS25 team is giving me this opportunity to talk about it.”
In Pioneering AI: Microsoft’s Strategic Insights and Future Direction, Edlund will delve into innovative strategies for securely deploying AI across enterprises, such as data security posture management and responsible governance. Additionally, he will talk about tracking the abuse or misuse of AI and provide insights into what “agentic” means to Microsoft now and in the long term.
Edlund’s presentation will highlight the extensive range of Microsoft’s AI investments and the powerful capabilities of Copilot, highlighting some of the latest innovations like vision and memory, and other tools that promise to make programs safer, easier to deploy, and more manageable.
During this dynamic session, attendees will dive into how enterprises can develop a comprehensive roadmap for AI deployment. Edlund emphasizes the need to balance innovation and governance, stressing that organizations risk losing direction and data integrity without a clear plan.
“Some of the innovation becomes a little ‘chicken-and-egg,’’ he says. “Without people on various teams able to apply AI to their business, you may not uncover the gems of innovation out there. You need a safe space for your teams to play and create use cases.”
But Edlund cautions against applying AI at scale without a structured approach or a thorough understanding of how it aligns with overall business objectives. A solid roadmap is needed to monitor AI’s effectiveness and to safeguard sensitive organizational information from leaking.
OWS25 takes place from April 29 to May 1 in downtown Chicago.