Join us at the Chicago Cloud Computing Meetup on Thursday, November 5, 2026, where Frank Migacz (Microsoft) will present “Generative AI Transformers: a Deep Dive”. If you use AI tools every day but have never looked at what happens between your prompt and the response, this session opens up the machinery and shows you why it matters.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM CST
• Location: Microsoft Chicago Office (Aon Center), 200 E Randolph St, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60601

Presentation

Generative AI Transformers Deep Dive

Do you think you know what a token is? Do you think you know what a cached token is? Let’s find out.

In this session, Frank takes you inside modern transformers and walks through the pieces that turn text into a response: embedding, attention, the feed-forward loop, and output generation. Each stage gets unpacked in plain terms, so you leave with a working mental model rather than a diagram you half remember.

From there, the session builds outward to agents and harnesses, connecting the internals of the model to the applications you actually use. Understanding what the model is doing under the covers changes how you prompt it, how you structure context, and where caching and token limits help or hurt. Armed with this knowledge, you will get better results from these tools.

Speaker: Frank Migacz

Frank helps customers understand and use agentic DevOps at Microsoft. He is a Microsoft Certified Trainer with a history in SharePoint development going back to 2007, and he is still grieving InfoPath.

Event Highlights

• Understand what a token really is, and what makes a cached token different
• Walk through the internals of a modern transformer: embedding, attention, feed-forward, and output
• Connect model internals to the agents and harnesses behind today’s AI applications
• Pick up practical habits that get better results from the AI tools you already use
• Network with fellow cloud, AI, and developer professionals in the Chicago area
• Enjoy pizza courtesy of our sponsors responsiveX and Microsoft

Registration and Building Security

Registration required: Please include your full first and last name when you register. Building security at the Aon Center requires this information to grant you access.

Register here: RSVP on Meetup

About the Meetup

The Chicago Cloud Computing Meetup brings together developers, architects, and IT professionals interested in cloud technologies. Our meetings feature presentations on cloud platforms, best practices, and emerging trends in cloud and AI, along with time for networking and community building.