Microsoft will be allowing customers to create self-running AI agents starting next month. This move is part of the company’s growing focus on AI technology, which has attracted loads of attention from investors.
These AI programs, known as autonomous agents, need very minimal human intervention to function. Unlike chatbots, these agents can answer customer questions, find potential sales, and manage stock. Microsoft views them as tools for a future driven by AI.
Other major tech companies such as Salesforce have also highlighted the potential of these AI agents. Some experts believe these tools could help businesses make money from the large amounts they are investing in AI.
Microsoft announced that its customers will soon be able to use a platform called Copilot Studio to create such agents. The application, which will be available in November for public preview, requires little coding knowledge. Microsoft is using a mix of its own AI models and those developed by OpenAI for this project.
Announcing Autonomous Agents at #Microsoft #AI Tour London #copilot pic.twitter.com/O5gE6NjKqU
— Dr. Victoria Holt #DataToboggan (@victoria_holt) October 21, 2024
On Monday, Microsoft revealed a new five-year agreement with the UK government to provide its AI tools to public sector organizations.
Under this deal with the Crown Commercial Service, the UK’s procurement agency, public sector groups will gain access to Microsoft’s AI-powered tools, including the Microsoft 365 productivity suite, the Azure cloud platform, and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Microsoft 365 Copilot integrates generative AI into popular productivity apps, enhancing how users can work with tools such as Word, Excel, and Outlook.
10 pre-built AI agents for daily business tasks
Microsoft is rolling out ten pre-configured AI agents to assist with common business tasks such as supply chain management, expense tracking, and client communication.
In a recent demonstration, McKinsey & Co., one of the early users of these tools, showcased an AI agent that streamlines client inquiries. The agent reviews past interactions, selects the appropriate consultant, and sets up a follow-up meeting.
According to Charles Lamanna, Microsoft’s corporate vice president, Copilot—Microsoft’s chatbot—serves as the primary way users interact with these AI tools, simplifying the process for businesses.
“Every employee will have a Copilot, their personalized AI agent, and then they will use that Copilot to interface and interact with the sea of AI agents that will be out there,” said Lamanna.
Tech companies like Microsoft are under pressure to prove that their large investments in AI will pay off. Despite Microsoft’s shares dropping 2.8 percent in the September quarter, underperforming the S&P 500, the stock is still up over 10 percent this year.
However, there are concerns about how quickly Copilot is being adopted. A survey by research firm Gartner in August found that most of the 152 IT organizations surveyed had not moved beyond the pilot phase with their Copilot programs.
