Episode Details

What happens when AI starts building apps alongside developers? Are we entering a future where business users can create enterprise applications simply by describing what they want in plain language? And how will Power Apps evolve as generative AI, Copilot, and vibe coding completely reshape the development experience? In this episode of the m365.fm podcast, Mirko Peters sits down with Microsoft MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer Keith Atherton to explore the rapidly changing future of Power Apps, low-code development, AI-assisted app creation, and the next generation of business application development. Keith Atherton is a Power Platform Solution Architect at Capgemini, Microsoft MVP for Business Applications, Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), LinkedIn Learning instructor, public speaker, founder of the Power Platform Community High Five user group, podcast host, and mentor within the Women in Power Platform initiative. With a background in traditional software engineering using .NET and SQL Server before transitioning into Power Platform, Keith brings a unique perspective that combines enterprise architecture, low-code development, AI tooling, governance, and modern app design.

FROM TRADITIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO LOW-CODE INNOVATION

Keith shares how his career originally started in traditional software engineering using technologies like Visual Basic, .NET, and SQL Server before eventually moving into Power Platform. What immediately attracted him to Power Apps was speed. Instead of rebuilding the same application structures repeatedly in pro-code environments, Power Apps enabled him to create business solutions dramatically faster while still integrating with enterprise systems and Microsoft services. One of the most interesting moments in the conversation is when Keith explains that even before discovering Power Apps, he had already started building his own internal scaffolding systems to automate repetitive development tasks. That realization became his “aha moment” for Power Platform. Rather than manually creating forms, data models, grids, and business logic over and over again, low-code development allowed him to focus more on solving business problems instead of rewriting the same technical structures repeatedly. Mirko and Keith discuss how Power Apps has evolved far beyond simple drag-and-drop interfaces. What started as a low-code productivity platform is now becoming an AI-powered development ecosystem where prompts, screenshots, requirements documents, and conversational interactions can generate applications automatically. 

WHAT IS VIBE CODING AND WHY IS EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT IT?

One of the biggest topics throughout the episode is “vibe coding” — the emerging trend where developers describe what they want using natural language while AI generates the application, code, or functionality automatically. Keith explains that vibe coding is fundamentally changing how software is built because developers increasingly spend less time writing repetitive code manually and more time describing intent, business requirements, layouts, and workflows. The conversation explores several new Microsoft Power Apps features including:

• Vibe Apps
• Code Apps
• Generative Pages
• Copilot-assisted Power Fx generation
• AI-generated app layouts
• Prompt-based application building

Keith explains how some of these new experiences already allow developers to upload screenshots, requirement documents, branding assets, or plain-language prompts to generate fully functional Power Apps in minutes rather than days. One particularly fascinating example discussed in the episode involves AI-generated Power Pages development where tasks that previously required multiple weeks of manual work can now be created in under an hour using AI-assisted tooling. Keith emphasizes that while these tools are incredibly powerful, they still require proper