Microsoft on Monday said it was enhancing its Al offerings with new autonomous agent capabilities as the tech titan aims to accelerate business adoption of artificial intelligence.
Al agents are specialised programs designed to perform routine tasks autonomously, such as sifting through sales leads or handling customer service inquiries.
The Al agent has become the newest buzzword for major software companies that are investing billions in powerful Al models, which they believe will shape the future of computing.
Microsoft has moved fast in pushing generative Al technology to everyday users, largely using the models from its $13 billion partnership with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.
Agents are intended to advance generative Al from ChatGPT-style chatbots, which require human prompts, to systems that can operate independently.
In a blog post, Microsoft introduced ten autonomous agents for its Copilot Al platform, tailored to support sales, service, finance, and supply chain teams.
These agents will be available for public preview starting in December, with a full rollout planned through 2025.
“Think of agents as the new apps for an Al-powered world. Every organization will have a constellation of agents – ranging from simple prompt-and-response to fully autonomous,” Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer Jared Spataro explained.
The company envisions these agents facilitating a transition from today’s traditional business routines to new work habits that are driven and increasingly carried out by AI. Additionally, Microsoft announced the upcoming public preview of Copilot Studio, a tool enabling companies to create and manage their own Al agents.
Other tech giants are also exploring a deployment of Al agents, with venture capitalists poring money into startups offering their own take on the concept. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, whose company last month announced its own slate of Al agents, criticized Microsoft’s efforts.
“When you look at how Copilot has been delivered to customers, it’s disappointing. It just doesn’t work, and it doesn’t deliver any level of accuracy,” Benioff said last week.
Al chip juggernaut Nvidia, Google and Oracle have also announced Al agent projects. Although their powers remain limited for now, the development of autonomous agents capable of independent action has raised concerns about potential risks.
Microsoft assured that these new agents, currently limited to non- complex tasks, adhere to strict security, privacy, and responsible Al guidelines. “Once these agents are created, IT administrators can apply a comprehensive set of features to govern their use,” it said.