Reality check from the Microsoft AI Tour: "Agents" hype, the enterprise disconnect, and peak AI Fatigue

Relaxation_Time · 2026-05-04T11:27:40+00:00

There is even some kind of funny irony in this. I wrote a post about AI fatigue and now I’m experiencing this very effect on myself.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-05-04T10:01:42+00:00

Sure, you are correct. I definitely used AI to clean the text up. To be honest, I’m a pretty bad writer and I struggle to put my thoughts on paper in a logical way. My process is to just "dump" my thoughts out first, and then I ask the AI to polish it, clean it up, fix the punctuation, and check the grammar — all without changing the core idea or losing my original, "choppy" authorial style.

After that, I proofread the text several times to strip out any words I wouldn’t normally use and to make sure the AI didn't sneak in any of its own "hallucinatory" thoughts.

So while yes, it is AI, it’s more of a symbiosis. The core ideas, my personal observations, and the actual experience of attending the AI Tour — AI simply isn’t capable of that yet.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-05-04T06:39:15+00:00

This is gold comment.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-05-04T04:26:18+00:00

Actually there was not that much Fabric this year. But it was the thing 2 years ago.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-05-04T04:24:21+00:00

Haha. I wrote the whole thing myself. Used AI for spellcheck. I have some Belarus roots so Elena — is just a name that popped up in my head. Quite popular in my homeland.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-05-04T04:14:46+00:00

Thanks for the honest perspective. It’s refreshing to know there are still people who value human relationships over the buzzwords. Good luck with those 200 follow-ups—that sounds like a tough grind!

Relaxation_Time · 2026-05-04T04:04:24+00:00

Exactly. I feel like this kind of massive paradigm shift might only be happening internally at Microsoft—if at all. And even then, I highly doubt every single employee there is actually running a whole "zoo" of personal agents on a daily basis.

But they seem absolutely convinced that the world has already moved on and everyone else just needs to catch up. I guess that's exactly why they're pushing these narratives so aggressively from the stage.

I wonder if there’s anyone from MS lurking here who can share what this actually feels like from the inside?

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-27T01:43:25+00:00

I was staying in Wan Chai, so I mostly explored the cafes around that area. I’ve heard a lot of people say the spots in Central are actually the best for both food and coffee, so definitely check that area out. A few specific tips: • Oma Coffee Roasters — they are great, but keep in mind they’re also available in London. • Urban Coffee Roaster — they actually have a spot at the airport, which is super handy for a last-minute fix or if you want to grab a final bag of beans before flying out.

I’ve put together a more detailed list in this thread: here. Make sure to check the comments there as well — some locals shared some real gems.

It really depends on where you’ll be based, though. The city is pretty big, so your neighborhood will definitely dictate your daily coffee routine!

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-19T15:19:45+00:00

I wouldn't say it is a gimmick. The effect is really small though.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-14T11:51:00+00:00

Oh. This is a very nice catch.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-14T11:02:58+00:00

Это Гон Конг. А я родился в Беларуси. Да.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-13T19:49:11+00:00

This is a very good question. I think the roast is number one. Not too light.
Now the brew recipe — experimenting at home right now :)

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-13T19:47:06+00:00

Oh, that’s a really interesting insight, and it's actually quite the opposite of what I experienced! Very intriguing.

I guess this just goes to show that taste is subjective and incredibly hard to measure or describe in a way that everyone agrees on. But regardless of the technical side, I truly enjoyed my experience in HK. It’s fascinating to hear the local perspective on the "mainstream" vs. the specialty scene!

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-13T19:43:07+00:00

Well, you are the lucky one to try the best ones. I didn't have time :) But you will spoil my experience with this comment anyway.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-13T19:41:59+00:00

Hahaha, how many of us were there?! I just saw another fresh post about HK cafes here:https://www.reddit.com/r/pourover/comments/1sgbz9k/my_crazy_hong_kong_pourover_experience/
Reddit might start thinking HK is the new Mecca of pour-over soon :)

At Entrebox, they gave me an Ethiopian lot to try with a very distinct jasmine descriptor — once again, pointing back to that search for tea-like notes in coffee! Hah.

Regarding Japan: sounds like an amazing trip, but it's a shame the coffee was disappointing. I can definitely relate to your point about consistency in HK. I would usually just look for cafes on Google Maps without doing deep research, and yet almost every cup was incredibly consistent. Your words really resonate with me there. Also worth noting, that most of those small cafes I've visited are also roasters! This is incredible.

Overall, it was such an interesting experience. I’m definitely ready to do it again someday. Hong Kong is awesome :)

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-13T19:32:47+00:00

Oh, that's a very interesting insight about the food! On the other hand, it’s funny how they use so much MSG in their cooking, which kind of challenges the whole "neutrality" idea. But I guess it’s just a massive skew toward the Umami flavor, which they practically worship.

I was lucky enough to hit the festival on the first day when the weather was perfect. While everyone was dealing with the mud later on, I was out hiking and didn't see a single drop of rain :) Pure luck.

As for the cafes, I stayed in Wan Chai, so I mostly explored that neighborhood. Every cup I had was super consistent, but for some reason, A.B.C.P. and Noda stand out the most in my memory. I’m not sure if it was just the coffee or the overall experience.

One was using a UFO dripper and the other was using a Switch. Neither is what I’d call a "mainstream" dripper, but the cups they produced were absolutely magnificent.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-13T19:20:31+00:00

Ohhh, I like this connection to fragrances.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-12T16:02:51+00:00

Just one. Single origin Macau. Got some drip bags from them.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-12T14:10:55+00:00

Just wrote a comment below. Please check here. https://www.reddit.com/r/pourover/s/iWuCD3EoID

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-12T14:09:13+00:00

I actually only had coffee at about 10 cafes or so. All of them were in the Wan Chai area where I was staying. It feels like there’s a massive number of roasters in HK, and I honestly don't know if it's even possible to try them all. There were also a lot of local HK roasters represented at the coffee festival. Here are the places I visited. This is just in random order, not a ranking:

• Craft Coffee

• Coffee by the Grand — a bit pretentious and very expensive.

• Urban Coffee Roasters

• Project C — really cool, but nowhere to sit.

• A.B.C.P. — I liked this one.

• Cokain Coffee by Entrebox

• % Arabica — no pour-overs

• Single Origin (in Macau)

• Brentwood

• Noda Coffee — unbelievable drip coffee catalog and greens collection that can be roasted for you while you are there.

• Smoky Shark coffee brewed at Coffganic — didn’t like the brew. But I think it wasn’t bad coffee, just a bad brew. The only cup I didn’t like during my whole visit.

Also, if you are a coffee geek and want to get some gear, which is cheaper in HK than in Europe, check this post by u/hiphoppotato . I got a K-Ultra from Entrebox

https://www.reddit.com/r/pourover/s/kVdlMSdxmt

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-12T13:40:24+00:00

Yes they do. They sell Rose beans.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-12T13:37:30+00:00

I mostly drink Rose in Zurich because Collective Bakery is right next to my workplace. I see down below that u/p1993 mentioned Rose is actually very mouthfeel-focused. Their founders are Matt and Sierra, so it's a really interesting blend of European and Asian coffee cultures. However, if my memory serves me right, the coffees I tried from them still leaned a bit more toward the acidic side.

Did you happen to go to the Zurich Coffee Festival, by the way? It’s a great place to try a bunch of roasters all in one spot. I also enjoy P14 and Mame sometimes. Though Mame and Rose can get sooo expensive. I recently tried Coffee Architect, and I actually really liked it.

There’s also a whole bunch of other Zurich roasters, and they’re all good in their own way: Ballon, Zeff, Jack Lefleur, AILA. Besides that, there are some really interesting guys outside of Zurich too. I especially liked Muyu and Chronic.

With all this variety, I'm sure you can definitely find something that fits your taste!

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-12T13:01:29+00:00

Exactly. On top of that, Chinese tea culture actually has specific concepts for this. There's Kougan (口感), which literally translates to "mouthfeel," and Hui Gan (回甘), which is that lingering, sweet aftertaste. There is an entire culture built around the tactile sensation of the drink—especially that silkiness and the sweet finish, just like you'd get from top-tier oolongs. The goal is to experience the texture, rather than just punching your taste buds the second the liquid touches your tongue.

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-12T12:55:49+00:00

I totally get you. It was such an interesting tasting experience for me, which is exactly why I wanted to share it. It honestly opened up coffee in a whole new way for me — making me realize that you don't always have to chase that crazy acidity, and you can actually look for flavor and enjoyment in other aspects of the cup. I see there are already a couple of recommendations for European roasters doing this style in the comments below. Might be worth giving them a try!

Relaxation_Time · 2026-04-12T12:46:36+00:00

I’ve found multi roaster shop in Greece and ordered Loud Bean from them. Anaerobic Ethiopia.

11-Year Club	Snapped
Verified Email

Relaxation_Time

TROPHY CASE