AI Agents in 2026: Govern Without Slowing Innovation

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM A focused conversation on why AI agents will define 2026, how governance must evolve, and the practical skills business and tech professionals need to stay relevant. The episode explores the shift from Power Platform governance to AI‑first governance, the rise of agent orchestration, and the critical importance of data security, testing, and prompt engineering. Listeners gain clear guidance on adapting their roles, scaling responsibly, and preparing for an agent‑driven future. 👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/795 🎙️ What you’ll learn • How AI agents are reshaping governance expectations across organisations • Practical steps to evolve your skills for an AI‑centred workflow • How to balance innovation with safe, secure agent deployment • Why data security and red‑team style testing matter more than ever • How to identify when to use Copilot Studio versus Foundry • AI Agents in 2026: Govern Without Slowing Innovation 👉 Chapters • 00:04 The Moment AI Stops Being a Buzzword • 05:57 From Power Platform Governance to AI Governance • 09:22 The New Admin Skillset: Entra, Purview, M365 & Beyond • 11:44 The Misconception Slowing AI Adoption • 14:52 The Three Skills Every Pro Needs Now • 20:15 Will Agents Replace Developers, Architects, and PMs? • 30:17 Security, Red Teaming, and Prompt Engineering 🔴Highlights • “2026 feels like when people actually start doubling down and taking it seriously.” • “AI will not take your job. AI will just change your job.” • “How do I become an agent boss?” • “Governance does not have to slow innovation.” • “You can’t ignore this big thing called AI because you’re going to lose competitive advantage.” • “Testing an agent is completely different.” • “Prompt engineering is a big one.” • “There are now more moving parts… you can’t just get away with building an app anymore.” • “My mindset needs to shift from doing things manually to validating what AI gives me.” • “Next year is going to be doubling down a lot of that… it’s here, let’s embrace it.” ✅ Find Craig Online: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-white-/ • X: https://x.com/platformspower • GitHub: https://github.com/CraigWhite81 • Personal Blog: https://platformsofpower.net/ • Website: https://www.ans.co.uk/   🧰 Mentioned • Microsoft Power Platform: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform • Copilot Studio: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/microsoft-copilot-studio/ • Foundry: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/ai-foundry/ • Microsoft Entra: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/fundamentals/what-is-entra • Microsoft Purview: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/purview ✅Keywords ai agents, governance, power platform, copilot studio, foundry, data security, prompt engineering, red teaming, power automate, power fx, entra, microsoft purview Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoption 🔴 Subscribe for all the latest Microsoft Power Platform News: https://www.youtube.com/nz365guy?sub_confirmation=1 🔴 Share this video with a Youtuber friend: https://youtu.be/lt1Mp08XMbk ✅ Recommended Playlist: Hear the latest from Senior Microsoft Staff 👉 Power 365 Show - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqyy0tYMOozNcXsEdVn4sqh 👉 Copilot Show - https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLzf0yupPbVkqPyRqPii192UiJuT-SQHw-/videos ✅ All our Microsoft Innovation Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkoEIfkNYZ0dModTR5aLbRh3 ✅ Let’s Connect: Collaborate with me here – https://cloverbase.com YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/nz365guy Website: http://www.nz365guy.com/subscribe LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy X – https://twitter.com/nz365guy Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nz365guy Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nz365guy Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.nz/nz365guy I’m Mark Smith - nz365guy - Helping people reach their full potential I have been a Microsoft Business Applications MVP for over 14 years. I am passionate about helping people reach their full potential, through training, coaching and mentorship. Accelerate your Microsoft career with the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge (https://www.90daymc.com/) Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nz365guy) If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy). Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith