Intriguing Development: Microsoft to Enable AI Agent Creation in November
In a strategic move to leverage the growing AI market, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced that starting in November, customers would be able to create autonomous AI agents. These agents are designed to perform routine tasks with minimal human intervention, distinguishing them from traditional chatbots.
Microsoft presents these AI agents as essential tools capable of handling tasks such as responding to customer service inquiries, identifying sales opportunities, and managing inventory in an AI-focused world. The agents will be developed using the Copilot Studio application, which simplifies the creation process and does not require extensive coding knowledge. The technology is powered by AI models from both Microsoft and OpenAI.
The company is preparing to launch ten pre-built agents designed to assist with common tasks like supply chain management, expense tracking, and customer communication. During a demonstration, McKinsey & Co showcased an agent capable of processing customer inquiries by reviewing past interactions, selecting the appropriate consultant, and scheduling follow-up meetings.
Charles Lamanna, Microsoft's corporate vice president for business and industry AI, emphasized the significance of the Copilot chatbot as a user interface for AI. Lamanna envisions a future where every employee will have a personal AI agent or Copilot to interact with a broader network of AI agents.
This initiative comes at a time when tech giants are under pressure to demonstrate the profitability of their significant investments in AI. Microsoft’s stock performance saw a slight decline, down 2.8% over the September quarter, lagging behind the S&P 500. However, the company's stock has still risen over 10% within the year.
Despite the excitement around AI advancements, there remain some concerns about the adoption rate of Microsoft’s Copilot. An August survey by Gartner indicated that the majority of the 152 IT organizations surveyed had not moved their Copilot projects beyond the pilot phase.