Azure Functions in the AI era

AI is reshaping how we build apps, but how do you actually wire it all up?

How do you make sure that you, and only you, are using your (sometimes VERY) expensive AI resources?

And with all that, how do you keep things as simple as the wave of flashy demos?

In this talk, I’ll walk through how Azure Functions lets you plug AI into your system without overengineering it. We’ll cover:
- Using Azure Functions to create your own remote MCP server
- Running Azure AI Foundry with your own serverless code
- Durable Functions for keeping the human in the loop

This is my favorite setup for building AI systems that stay simple, scalable, and sane. After this talk, it’ll be yours too.

Speaker: Alex Pshul

Alex is a software architect, Microsoft Azure MVP, consultant, speaker and a tech freak.

He had worked on more than 35 projects in the past 15 years, using a vast range of Azure services and various .NET and TypeScript technologies.

X: https://x.com/AlexPshul
Blog: https://www.pshul.com

Schedule:
6:00 - 6:30 - Meet 'n Greet with Pizza and Pop
6:30 - 6:45 - Introduction and Welcome - David Rodela
6:45 - 8:00 - Main Presentation - Alex Pshul
8:00 - ? - (Optional - whoever would like to join) Continue our conversations at Coopers Pub, 780 Burnhamthorpe Rd W (just down the street)

Please note the NEW location - our host TEKSystems has moved to 1290 Central Pkwy W.