The video demonstrates the creation of a custom MVP Copilot integrated into the Microsoft MVP dashboard using the Microsoft Agent Framework and OpenAI API, enabling natural language queries on a local MVP database. It highlights overcoming integration challenges, leveraging AI-assisted coding with GitHub Copilot, and refining system prompts to ensure focused, relevant responses exclusively about Microsoft MVPs.
In this video, the creator showcases the development of a custom MVP Copilot integrated into the Microsoft MVP dashboard at www.mvplove.com. The MVP Copilot allows users to query a local database of Microsoft MVPs using natural language, such as asking for MVPs named Gary. This functionality is powered by a large language model (LLM) that interacts with the local data, providing tailored responses. The creator highlights the transition from using the Semantic Kernel to the newly released Microsoft Agent Framework for building chatbots and agents with C# and .NET.
The Microsoft Agent Framework, which has recently been renamed and updated, offers C# samples primarily designed to work with Azure AI Foundry. However, the creator opts to use the OpenAI API directly, which required some effort to integrate. The setup involves adding specific NuGet packages like Agents.OpenAI, Hosting, and UI, and configuring an OpenAI client with deployment names that correspond to model names. A custom agent tool function called SearchMVPs was created to query an in-memory MVP database, although some reflection-based code was necessary due to current limitations in dependency injection support.
A significant feature of the Microsoft Agent Framework is the AGUI protocol, which facilitates plug-and-play agentic chatbot interfaces. The creator praises the hosting layer provided by Microsoft, which simplifies integration. However, attempts to use the Copilot Kit with React or Next.js frameworks proved problematic due to backend requirements and proxy issues, leading to frustration. Instead, the creator developed a pure JavaScript AGUI client without React, a task that was impressively accomplished with the help of GitHub Copilot, which generated the client code by referencing AGUI documentation in about 25 minutes.
The video also touches on the importance of restricting the Copilot’s functionality to maintain relevance and security. Initially, the Copilot would respond to unrelated queries, such as telling jokes, which was undesirable for a public-facing tool focused solely on Microsoft MVP information. To address this, the system prompt was updated to instruct the assistant to only answer questions related to Microsoft MVPs and politely decline any other requests. This adjustment successfully prevented the Copilot from engaging in off-topic conversations while still providing helpful MVP-related responses.
In conclusion, the creator demonstrates a practical and efficient way to build a custom AI assistant using the Microsoft Agent Framework and OpenAI API, overcoming challenges with existing tools and frameworks. The project highlights the evolving landscape of AI development tools, the utility of AI-assisted coding with GitHub Copilot, and the importance of carefully designing system prompts to ensure appropriate and focused interactions. The MVP Copilot now serves as a specialized, interactive feature on the MVP dashboard, enhancing user engagement with tailored, relevant information.