Microsoft Hosts Exclusive Government AI Workshop to Advance M365 Copilot Agent Capabilities

Microsoft is hosting an exclusive in-person event targeting government agencies seeking to operationalize AI within their Microsoft 365 environments. Scheduled for February 26, 2026, at the Washington DC Microsoft Innovation Hub in Arlington, VA, this "Agent-a-thon" provides government teams with tactical training on building instruction-driven agents using Microsoft 365 Copilot. The event addresses a critical gap in public sector AI adoption: transitioning from individual Copilot usage to creating reusable, workflow-specific agents that connect natural language commands with organizational data.

Unlike standard productivity tools, M365 Copilot agents enable automated, repeatable processes by interpreting structured instructions against existing data repositories. The workshop clarifies key architectural decisions, specifically when to deploy standalone Copilot versus developing custom agents. Copilot excels at individual task assistance like document summarization, while agents automate multi-step workflows—such as processing procurement requests or generating compliance reports—by chaining actions across Microsoft 365 applications.

Government attendees will participate in scenario-based exercises using GCC, GCC High, and DoD-aligned environments. Sessions include:

• Designing agent instructions using government workflow templates
• Validating inputs/outputs against security and compliance requirements
• Mapping common processes like FOIA requests or budget approvals to agent patterns
• Comparing implementation constraints across GCC environments

Microsoft technical coaches will provide environment-specific guidance during breakout sessions, focusing on translating mission objectives into deployable solutions. For example, participants might convert a manual personnel onboarding workflow into an agent that automatically populates HR systems, schedules training, and provisions access—all triggered by a single natural language command.

The business impact centers on scalability: properly designed agents reduce repetitive tasks by 30-50% in pilot cases, according to early adopters. This workshop enables agencies to institutionalize these gains by teaching reusable patterns for audit trails, data retrieval, and cross-system orchestration. With limited capacity (~30 seats), the event prioritizes hands-on skill transfer over theoretical discussion.

Registration operates first-come-first-served via Microsoft's event portal, with government employees required to confirm participation complies with their agency policies. The agenda balances strategic context—like the 10:00 AM session "Agents in Microsoft 365: What They Are + What to Use When"—with practical labs where attendees build and test agents using their own mission scenarios.

As federal AI initiatives accelerate, this training addresses the operational bottleneck of moving from pilot projects to production-ready solutions. The curated environment allows agencies to evaluate Copilot's agent framework against alternatives like AWS SageMaker or Google Vertex AI, particularly for workflows requiring deep Microsoft 365 integration without custom API development.