Microsoft Developer shares a Budget Bites season finale discussion with Microsoft leaders on what “budget-smart” AI app building looks like, covering cost realities, Azure SQL scaling (including Hyperscale), and how GitHub Copilot and agents can reduce operational work.

AI, Budget, and the Future of Databases

In this Budget Bites finale, Microsoft leaders discuss what building AI-powered applications on a budget signals for developers today—starting from a $25 AI app challenge and extending to production scaling using Azure SQL, GitHub Copilot, and intelligent agents.

Guests

• Shireesh (CVP, Azure Databases)
• Priya Sati (VP, SQL)

Chapters

• 00:07 – Welcome to Budget Bites and the $25 AI challenge
• 01:09 – What’s changed for customers building AI today
• 01:43 – The AI–Cloud–Developer experience trifecta
• 03:02 – Building AI on a budget: Azure SQL perspective
• 04:25 – AI infrastructure costs and what people get wrong
• 07:13 – Data as the new oil: what’s the modern refinery?
• 08:53 – Why experience matters in the age of AI and agents
• 10:23 – DBA agents and reducing operational drudgery
• 13:52 – Agents + structured, governed data with Azure SQL
• 18:26 – Scaling from free Azure SQL to hyperscale production
• 20:24 – From data to unified intelligence: Microsoft’s vision
• 25:02 – Final takeaways and building budget-smart AI apps

Links

• Visit the repo: https://aka.ms/budgetbytes
• Get started for free: https://aka.ms/budgetbytes/freeoffer
• Watch more Budget Bytes: https://aka.ms/budgetbytes/series