Microsoft, the software giant, announced its intention to allow its customers to build independent artificial intelligence models starting in November as part of its efforts to leverage emerging technology.
Microsoft plans to deploy independent agents, software that requires limited human intervention, as these agents are « applications for an AI-dependent world. » These agents can handle customer queries, identify sales leads, and manage inventory efficiently.
This development comes at a time when other major technology companies, such as Salesforce, are promoting the capabilities of independent agents, which some analysts see as an easier way for companies to realize returns on the billions of dollars spent on artificial intelligence.
Microsoft revealed that its customers will be able to use Copilot Studio, an application that requires basic programming knowledge, to create independent agents starting from November. This application relies on internally developed artificial intelligence models by OpenAI.
The company also offers ten ready-to-use agents that can assist in a range of routine tasks, such as supply chain management, expense tracking, and customer communication.
In a demonstration, McKinsey & Co, which had early access to these tools, created an agent capable of managing customer queries by reviewing interaction records, selecting the appropriate advisor, and scheduling follow-up meetings.
Charles Lamanna, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Business and Industry, said, « The idea is that the Copilot program is the user interface for artificial intelligence. » He added that each employee will have a copilot assistant, meaning they will have a dedicated artificial intelligence agent to interact with customers.
However, major technology companies are under pressure from investors to show returns on their massive investments in artificial intelligence. Microsoft’s shares fell by 2.8 percent in the third quarter of the year, which is less than the performance of the S&P 500 index, although the stocks are still up more than ten percent since the beginning of the year.
Concerns have grown in recent months about the speed of adoption of the Copilot program, as a study conducted by Gartner in August showed that the vast majority of organizations have not made significant progress in their Copilot initiatives beyond the pilot phase.
