Overcoming Your Imposter Syndrome with GitHub Copilot*

Do you have a voice inside your head that pops up and tells you that you aren't good enough, that your colleague should speak at that event or get that award, or take that secondment rather than you? That voice is not your friend! It is holding you back from opportunity.

In this session, I will walk through the 5 types of imposter syndrome and show you how GitHub Copilot can help to silence that voice and overcome your fears. I will show you how it can be a coach, a pair-programmer, an alternate point of view (but not an unfriendly one) and how it can help to reassure the anxious part of you that thinks you are unworthy.

I'll also show off my favourite features that I find make me a better coder, tester, more secure collaborator and less annoying team mate.

*Please note: GitHub Copilot is an AI assistant, and it's responses should not replace professional advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for medical, legal, financial, or other professional matters.

Adopt, extend, secure and build Copilot experiences across the Microsoft Cloud

Generative AI will fundamentally transform productivity for every individual and every organization in the world. The question is - will it enable you to innovate and grow or will you be left behind?

Users can adopt Copilot to streamline their workflows, while developers or creators have the flexibility to extend Copilot by integrating custom data. The core features that Copilot is built upon can also be used to build custom copilot solutions, which can be integrated into new or existing applications.

Explore with us the Copilot experiences available in many Microsoft products and learn how to create plugins and build your own.

By the end of this session, you will:

* See examples of how to use copilots to enable your workforce
* Understand how to extend copilot using plugins, connectors or message extensions.
* Know how to build your own copilot

Murder Under the Big Top: An Azure AI Vision Mystery

Step right up and welcome to the greatest show in the tech world! This isn’t just another conference talk, we’re diving into the thrilling world of Azure AI Vision Services to solve a mock murder mystery under the big top.

In this whimsical and captivating session, we’ll demonstrate how Azure’s object detection can spot the juggling pins(find the murder weapon), how people detection can identify the tightrope walker(find the suspects), how category identification can highlight the circus tents(pinpoint the location), and how OCR can decode the ringleader’s notes. While we won’t be sending in the clowns, attendees will get an entertaining and intriguing look at how these services work, and how they can be applied in their own projects.

So, grab your popcorn and join us under the big top as we unravel the mystery together with Azure AI Vision Services!

Exploring Azure OpenAI for Responsible AI and Generative Models

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way we interact with technology, and with great power comes great responsibility. Businesses are in equal parts excited about the potential to innovate and grow by leveraging this technology, and afraid of losing control of their IP, and their understanding of how their business runs.

In this session, we will explore the connection between AI, Responsible AI, and text, code, and image generation. We'll talk about the opportunity and the risks and give some advice on how to stay safe while leveraging generative AI.

By the end of this session, attendees will:

* Understand Azure OpenAI Service and its capabilities
* Learn about generative AI models
* Understand responsible AI practices and limited access policies

Well Connected - Small Steps You Can Take To Increase Your Impact

Keeping your head down and working hard is not enough anymore. If you want to move onwards and upwards in this world you have to make sure the world knows your name. This can be hard when all you care about is the code and you don't want to act like you think you're a 10Xer.

As Microsoft's #1 Social Seller on LinkedIn Globally - I have more influence and engagement across that platform than Mark Russinovich. I will share all my tips and tricks to help raise your profile with very little effort - so you can keep your focus where it counts.

Amplifying Your Tech Career: Showcasing Your Work and Building Your Brand

In a world where technology and talent intersect, excellence in your work is just the beginning. Join Michelle Sandford for an enlightening session that explores the undeniable truth: doing exceptional work isn't sufficient; you must showcase it to truly thrive.

Living in a remote Australian city on the edge of the world, Michelle has leveraged the digital realm to connect with a global network and amplify her career. In this session, she'll show you how to quickly create a portfolio website using Azure Static Web Apps (or GitHub pages if you like) using GitHub Codespaces, Copilot and Actions, whilst diving into the critical art of transforming your accomplishments into recognition.

Discover why it's no longer acceptable to toil in obscurity. Michelle will illustrate how showcasing your work isn't merely an option; it's the key to advancing in your tech career. Learn the strategies to ensure your hard work gets noticed, discussed, and celebrated, both within and beyond your organization.

Don't miss this opportunity to unlock your potential and let your work shine as you embark on the journey of building a brand that cannot be ignored.

Part 2/2: How to use Microsoft's Graph API

The Graph API is essential to programmatically engage with the Microsoft cloud and automate boring administrative tasks, create templates for complicate tasks and or essentially freeing up your time with mundane activity to do more fun interesting things.

The workshop will cover the following:
Introduction
Setup your own demo M365 Developer Tenant
What is Graph API and what can it do?
Introduce Graph API Reference
Introduce the Graph Explorer
- Activity to use Graph Explorer
Application Registration, what is it and why?
- Activity: Register an application in Azure AD
Defining Application Scope
- Activity: Grant access to M365 tenant
Authentication Methods
- Activity: Set a password
Using a certificate to authenticate API access
Postman for API development
- Activity: Setup postman to use with Graph API
Using scripts with Graph API
- Activity: Writing scripts to GET data
- Activity: Writing scripts to POST data
Securing your password
- Activity: Methods to protect client secrets
Securing the application authentication
- Activity: Restricting access to application with conditional access.

All participants will get access to learning website full instructions and example scripts and links to supporting documentation.

While Microsoft Graph is the vehicle being used in this session the lessons learned will allow the participant to connect to and use any other RESTful API with confidence.

The participants will learn how to access API's and begin their journey in programmatically evolving their workflows.

Maximize Developer Velocity Without Compromise - Let’s [CoPilot] Chat About Security

Join us for an exciting session where we will explore how to maximize developer velocity without compromising security. We will show you how to use GitHub CoPilot Chat, Codespaces and GitHub Advanced Security features to build secure applications faster. You’ll come away with tips and best practices from the lessons we learned from experimenting with the tools. Don’t miss out on this fun and informative session!

Leveraging Generative AI for Cybersecurity. Attack, Defence and Ethics.

As cyber threats become more sophisticated, it's crucial to leverage advanced technologies to defend against them. One technology that has gained significant attention in recently is generative AI such as the Open AI GPT based models. In this session, we will explore how they could be used to carry out, and defend against, cyber-attacks.

We will discuss how generative AI can be leveraged to assist with targeted phishing attacks. Using a GPT based AI, an attacker can quickly create convincing phishing emails that are more likely to succeed. Further to this GPT based AI can guide the attacker with building the necessary infrastructure to host the whole attack chain. We will demonstrate this potential and discuss the implications of these attacks for cybersecurity.

Next, we explore how generative AI can assist defence against cyber threats. This technology can detect and advise on threats in real-time, allowing organizations to quickly identify and neutralize attacks to limit damage. We will provide examples of GPT based AI is used for defence, such as Microsoft Security Co-Pilot, and demonstrate this technology for organizations looking to improve their cybersecurity posture.
Lastly, we discuss the ethical implications of using generative AI for cybersecurity. As with any emerging technology, there are potential risks and drawbacks to consider, including issues related to privacy, bias, and accountability. We explore these issues and discuss how organizations can balance the benefits of this modern technology with the potential risks.

Unlocking Success: Navigating the Code of Life with GitHub CoPilot

Embark on a journey with an introverted developer who discovered the secret to combatting imposter syndrome, doing epic shit, and forging meaningful connections in the global tech landscape (mostly from behind the keyboard).

In this session while we see how GitHub CoPilot helps developers write better code, understand complex codebases, and solve problems differently. We'll talk about workplace anxiety, diversity of thought, and the importance of incorporating responsible AI principles into your life and your code.

Get ready to unlock the code that leads to a truly successful journey!

Microsoft Fundamental Exam Prep Workshops for Students and Early Career Professionals

Introduction: We are excited to present a two-day workshop focused on exam prep for four essential Microsoft Fundamental Exam Certifications. The workshop is aimed at students and early career professionals who are looking to build foundational skills in the tools used in industry. The workshop will be taught by two experienced Microsoft trainers, who will provide comprehensive guidance and support to the attendees, as well as insider tips and tricks.

Day 1: The first day of the workshop will cover the AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals and AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals exams. Attendees will receive a 3-hour session to help prepare for each exam, which will cover the basics of cloud computing, Azure services, AI fundamentals, and machine learning. The AI Fundamentals learning path provides content on generative AI, ChatGPT, DALL-E and OpenAI services, as well as other Microsoft Cognitive Services The sessions will be interactive, providing practical guidance on how to work with Azure services and leverage AI tools effectively.

Day 2: The second day of the workshop will cover the SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals and PL-900: Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals exams. The sessions will cover key concepts related to security, compliance, identity management, and Power Platform tools including Low Code/No-Code app creation and automation. Attendees will receive a 3-hour session to help prepare for each exam, providing hands-on training to prepare them for real-world scenarios.

Conclusion: This two-day workshop is an excellent opportunity for students and early career professionals to learn and develop foundational skills for the tools used in the industry. Attendees will have the chance to learn from Microsoft trainers with years of experience and gain valuable insights to ace the four Microsoft fundamental exams. Join us for this immersive learning experience, and take the first step towards building a successful career in the tech industry.

How to use Microsoft's Graph API

Microsoft's Graph is a RESTful web API that enables you to access Microsoft Cloud service resources. These span from Office 365 apps and data, Microsoft Security, Microsoft Azure services and all the data held within.

The Graph API is essential to programmatically engage with the Microsoft cloud and automate boring administrative tasks, create templates for complicate tasks and or essentially freeing up your time with mundane activity to do more fun interesting things.

The workshop will cover the following:
Agenda
Introduce facilitators
Setup your own demo M365 Developer Tenant
What is Graph API
What can it do?
Introduce Graph API Reference
Introduce the Graph Explorer
- Activity to use Graph Explorer
Application Registration, what is it and why?
Register an Azure AD Web Application
- Activity: Register an application in Azure AD
Defining Application Scope
- Activity: Grant access to M365 tenant
Authentication Methods
- Activity: Set a password
- Activity: Use a certificate to authenticate
Postman for API development
- Activity: Setup postman to use with Graph API
- Activity: Querying Graph API with Postman
Using scripts with Graph API (PowerShell/Python)
- Activity: Writing scripts to engage with Graph API
- Activity: Writing scripts to GET data
- Activity: Writing scripts to PUT data
Securing your password
- Activity: Methods to protect client secrets
Securing the application authentication
- Activity: Restricting access to application with conditional access.

All participants will get access to a GitHub repository with full instructions, workbook to follow, example scripts and links to supporting documentation.

While Microsoft Graph is the vehicle being used in this session the lessons learned will allow the participant to connect to and use any other RESTful API with confidence.

The participants will learn how to use Graph API to simplify their daily tasks and have the start of a journey in programmatically evolving their job.

The Modern Trolley Problem - Responsible AI Principles

We live in an age where self-driving cars are no-longer just an interesting philosophical thought experiment, but a reality. When things go wrong, there is an immediate and heated debate around where the blame lies (Programmer, Manufacturer, Owner, Driver), but the more interesting discussion always starts further back than that, before the car is even built. How is the algorithm to be coded? What are the rules that govern the decision making processes of the car. Are those hard-coded or is a machine learning as it drives, taking into account the behaviour of other road users etc?

Object recognition and obstacle avoidance are easy things to integrate these days - I'll demo how easy it is to train a Model to recognise and avoid objects, and we'll see how to deploy that model to an Azure Percept device. The tech is the easy part though...

This is a session about Responsible AI Principals, about Sustainable Engineering Practices - about Thinking before we Build and being intentional and transparent in what we code (and playing with robot cars and LEGO men)

Has Your Puppy Joined The Dark Side?

Machine learning is permeating mobile and web app development. To create modern, interactive apps that can evolve over time, it's a good idea to learn how to build and use machine learning models.

In this session I'll show you how to build a web app using Vue.js and then use that app to embed an ML model that is trained using the Custom Vision AI service to tell if the furry animals living in my house are Shihtzu or Ewoks.

I'll share my experience of building a progressive web app, integrating ML and adding in a bit of Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) to push updates to GitHub. [Note: There will be gratuitous puppy and Ewok pictures throughout]

Show Your Work - Using Data Science to Peek inside the Black Box

As machine learning becomes increasingly integral to decisions that affect health, safety, economic wellbeing, and other aspects of people's lives, it's important to be able to understand how models make predictions; and to be able to explain the rationale for machine learning based decisions.

In this session you will learn how to:

* Interpret global and local feature importance.
* Use an explainer to interpret a model.
* Create model explanations in a training experiment.
* Visualize model explanations.

Rise of the Tech Influencer - Small steps you can take to increase your reach

Keeping your head down and working hard is not enough anymore. If you want to move onwards and upwards in this world you have to make sure the world knows your name. This can be hard when all you care about is the code and you don't want to look like a dick.

As Microsoft's #1 Social Seller on LinkedIn Globally - I have more influence and engagement across that platform than Mark Russinovich. I will share all my tips and tricks to help raise your profile with very little effort - so you can keep your focus where it counts.

How to Raise a Robot Army over #100DaysofCode

A pythonic introduction to building bots when you are starting from *scratch*. In this talk we'll look at how they work, what they can be used for, and see some demo's to play with.

Imagine you have a 100 days and your only directive is that you **must** spend at least an hour a day in the code. Could you build an army of bots and take over the world?

Recently I've taken part in the #100DaysOfCode Challenge, which is designed to help beginners get started with meaningful and fun activities, even when they have no previous knowledge.

Together we'll cover the basics of bot building and go under the hood to look at the code and the basic architecture that holds it together. We'll examine some of the bots you can build and by the end of the session you'll be able to start building your own robot minions.

What's new in Generative AI?

Generative AI and LLMs are no longer just buzzwords. In this session, you will see it all in action -- the latest in Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Machine Learning, and Azure Cognitive Search. We will also share the latest innovations in Azure AI Studio.

This is a Microsoft Build AI Tour Talk

Am I the problem, or is it AI?

In the age of rapidly advancing AI, the question of responsibility looms large. This thought-provoking keynote delves into the complexities of our relationship with generative AI, exploring both its immense potential and the ethical challenges it presents. As we witness AI systems creating art, generating text, and even composing music, we're confronted with the question of agency: do these creations reflect the biases and flaws of their creators, or are they autonomous entities capable of shaping our world independently?

At the heart of this discussion lies the imperative of responsible AI development. While the promise of AI to revolutionize industries and solve complex problems is undeniable, so too are the risks of perpetuating biases, exacerbating inequality, and eroding privacy. This keynote not only highlights the need for ethical frameworks and regulations but also emphasizes the active role humans must play in shaping the trajectory of AI innovation. By fostering transparency, inclusivity, and collaboration, we can harness the transformative power of AI while ensuring that it serves the collective good and reflects our shared values.