Beyond Copilot: Building AI That Works in the Real World with Azure AI Foundry and Agentic AI for Frontline Workers with Fergus Kidd [MVP]

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In this episode of the M365 Show, Mirko Peters speaks with Fergus Kidd, Microsoft MVP, Co-Founder and CTO of FieldPal AI, about moving enterprise AI beyond the desk. While much of the conversation around Microsoft Copilot, generative AI and productivity focuses on knowledge workers, Fergus makes the case for the people maintaining infrastructure, repairing equipment, carrying out inspections and keeping essential services running. These frontline teams often work with limited connectivity, limited screen time and an overwhelming amount of paperwork—yet they have some of the clearest opportunities for meaningful AI impact.FROM EXOMARS TO EDGE AIFergus shares how his early work on the camera software for the ExoMars rover helped shape his approach to AI. A rover operating far from Earth has to work with constrained hardware, communication delays and a need to make decisions close to where the work happens. Those principles are surprisingly relevant for today’s field workers: technicians at wind farms, engineers on industrial sites and service teams on the road cannot rely on a stable connection or a laptop at every moment. The conversation explores why edge and on-device AI can be faster, more resilient and more useful when it supports people directly where the job is done.WHY FRONTLINE WORKERS NEED A DIFFERENT AI EXPERIENCEA frontline worker may not have an email address, a Microsoft Teams account or the time to type detailed updates into a tablet. They are fixing machinery, inspecting a site, installing windows or dealing with a customer. Traditional business software often fails because it adds another complicated tool to learn instead of removing friction from the work itself. Fergus explains why voice-first interaction, simple mobile experiences and rugged wearable computers can make the difference between a proof of concept and a tool people genuinely want to use.WEARABLE COMPUTE, VOICE AND THE REALITY OF THE FIELDThe episode looks at practical wearable technology from providers such as RealWear and Vuzix. Ra