Microsoft will allow businesses to create their own autonomous AI agents starting next month. These agents can act as virtual workers, carrying out tasks without supervision. Microsoft’s platform for creating these agents, Copilot Studio, will move into public preview, allowing more organizations to build their own AI agents. Additionally, Microsoft plans to introduce 10 new autonomous agents in Dynamics 365, targeting various teams within organizations.
At an event in London, Microsoft demonstrated the capabilities of these AI agents using an example developed by consulting firm McKinsey. The AI agent was able to parse emails, find the right person to respond, and summarize a response, showcasing the potential business value of these agents.
This move by Microsoft comes as competition in the AI space heats up, with Salesforce introducing its own platform for creating AI agents, Agentforce, at their annual Dreamforce event. Salesforce’s CEO of U.K. and Ireland criticized Microsoft’s copilot model of AI assistants, emphasizing the importance of grounding AI within the context of customer data.
In addition to this, Microsoft announced a five-year deal with the U.K. government to provide public sector organizations access to its AI tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot. This agreement will allow these organizations to leverage Microsoft’s AI technology for improved productivity and efficiency.
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