Nebraska.Code 2025 is right around the corner, but before you pack for Lincoln, join Alec and Brian as they tackle the hottest developer question of 2025: How do I harness AI agents without handing the keys to my codebase—or my laptop—over to Big Tech?

In this candid therapy-session-meets-tech-deep-dive, we unpack everything from Model Context Protocol (the “USB-C of AI apps”) to rolling your own “Cursor-style” IDE assistant. You’ll hear:

The exact trade-offs between GPT-4-class models in the cloud and leaner Phi 3/Llama models you can run on-prem with Foundry Local for air-gapped privacy.

Why agent-driven search is replacing static web pages—and how building an Azure OpenAI chatbot today keeps your organization off the “left behind” list.

A pragmatic roadmap for leveling-up: free AI-900 / AI-102 learning paths, sample GitHub repos, and the one-day AgentCon tour that drops actionable agent patterns straight into your toolbelt.

Whether you’re a developer sick of dependency-update tickets or an underwriter who’d rather review the interesting policies, this episode shows you how AI can erase the drudgery—without erasing your intellectual property.

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| NEBRASKA.CODE 2025 – REGISTRATION |

| https://whova.com/portal/registration/IOhJf-6D449qSu-mYLa9/ |

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| AGENTCON 2025 – KANSAS CITY (Global AI) |

| https://globalai.community/chapters/kansas-city/events/agentcon-2025-kansas-city/ |

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| GET STARTED WITH FOUNDRY LOCAL (Microsoft Learn) |

| https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/ai-foundry/foundry-local/get-started |

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| MICROSOFT CERTIFIED: AZURE AI FUNDAMENTALS (AI-900) |

| https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/azure-ai-fundamentals/ |

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| VS CODE + MCP SAMPLE REPO (mcp-for-beginners) |

| https://github.com/microsoft/mcp-for-beginners |

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For a while now, AI and tech headlines have been dominated by layoffs and market shifts. But what if a crucial, yet often overlooked, factor was at play? I'm experimenting with a new narrative style in this video to break down Section 174 of the US tax code. Discover how changes to this R&D deduction policy, from its inception in 1954 to the impactful 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, quietly impacted everything from startup funding to the massive tech layoffs we've seen. We'll also cover the breaking news of its recent reversal on July 4th, 2025, and what that means for the future of innovation in the US.

#AILayoffs #TaxCode #Section174 #RDTaxCredit #TechLayoffs

🚀 Description:
In this packed episode of Engineering the Loop, we break down everything you need to know from Microsoft Build 2025—and trust us, it’s not just incremental upgrades. From the rise of AI agents and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to the total transformation of search, software development, and even how you cool a data center, this year’s Build proves Microsoft is all in on an AI-first future.

We cover:

• Why MCP might replace traditional APIs (and kill search engines as we know them)

• How Copilot is leveling up with Agent Mode and SRE capabilities

• Running your own copilots locally with AI Foundry Local

• The wild vision of NL Web for conversational internet

• And why every developer needs to pay attention—fast

Whether you’re a developer, an architect, or just fascinated by what’s next in AI, this episode will catch you up and spark ideas.

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 – Welcome & Build 2025 Overview
Kickoff and why this year’s conference felt like a seismic shift.

02:30 – Agents and MCP 101
What are agents? What is Model Context Protocol? Why do they matter so much?

10:20 – Copilot Everywhere
Copilot Studio, Copilot Agent Mode, GitHub Copilot Chat, and the rise of SRE agents.

19:15 – AI Foundry Local & Bring Your Own Models
How you can run and fine-tune your own models—locally and securely.

25:40 – NL Web & The Death of Search
Could conversational agents replace traditional search engines?

31:00 – Data Center Innovations & Sustainability
Immersive cooling, carbon negativity, and the future of green AI infrastructure.

35:10 – Developer Productivity Supercharged
Swagger specs, MCP servers, and Copilot building entire applications for you.

41:45 – Governance, Security & What Comes Next
Managing agents, protecting MCP endpoints, and Microsoft’s vision for AI governance.

47:00 – Closing Thoughts & Predictions
Where do we go from here?

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation—because the future is arriving faster than you think.