Following a recent platform update to D365 Finance 10.0.40, I noticed a new preview feature under feature management named “(Preview) Custom API Generation”:

(Preview) Custom API Generation

The name alone definitely captured my attention.

The description is:

This preview feature enables exposing X++ functionality as CustomApi instances in the linked Dataverse environment, as well as generating the associated AIPlugin and AIPluginOperation artifacts.

Exposing X++ as Custom API instances in the linked datavase environment… cool. Then there are more clues, look at the naming of the associated artifcats which it generates. AIPlugin and AIPluginOperation.

AIPlugin and AIPluginOperation are elements of Dataverse Copilot AI plugins. Read more about them here: Building AI plugins for discovery by Copilot (preview)

So what we are looking at is exposing X++ functionality as AI Plugins in a Dataverse environment, supported out of the box. The feature is switched on by default, so it’s a core part of the future Copilot AI path of the product, and the capabilites which are being unlocked by the new D365 Unified Developer Experience.

Clicking on Learn More in feature management directs you to the documentation for extending Copilot in Finance and Operations Apps here:

Extend Copilot capabilities in finance and operations apps

From there, you can navigate through the guides including tutorials on how to create Copilot plugins.

D365 Copilot AI Plugins documentation

Create client plugins for Copilot in finance and operations apps

Unlocking X++ code as Copilot AI plugins leads to huge possibilities, and is a real hint at the future direction of Copilot AI in the product. Imagine asking Copilot AI to post a Journal Batch, or run a recurring integration, from the Copilot interface, or even in the future through Microsoft Teams? Unlocking access to the power of X++ and business logic.