Microsoft Debuts Copilot AI Agents to Boost Productivity, Save Money

Microsoft on Monday introduced the world to its new autonomous Copilot AI Agents as its latest effort to enhance customers' business opportunities through its massive AI investment.

The software giant unveiled the features during its AI tour event in London. The AI-powered features will allow companies to create their own Copilot-powered agents that can assist with completing simple tasks to free up time to work on more valuable projects.

As part of the release, Microsoft will provide 10 different pre-made autonomous agent options that can companies can deploy via Dynamics 365. These include models for a "Sales Qualification Agent," a "Supplier Communications Agent," a "Customer Intent Agent" and a "Customer Knowledge Management Agent."

Microsoft's Jared Spataro

"As agents become more prevalent in the enterprise, customers want to be confident that they have robust data governance and security," Jared Spataro, chief marketing officer for Microsoft's AI at Work division wrote in a blog. "The agents coming to Dynamics 365 follow our core security, privacy and responsible AI commitments. Agents built in Copilot Studio include guardrails and controls established by maker-defined instructions, knowledge and actions. The data sources linked to the agent adhere to stringent security measures and controls — all managed in Copilot Studio. These include data loss prevention, robust authentication protocols and more. Once these agents are created, IT administrators can apply a comprehensive set of features to govern their use. "

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Copilot AI Agents Latest Microsoft Investment

At least 2.1 million users engage with Copilot via Microsoft's business applications every month, a number that the company wants to increase. Clifford Chance, McKinsey & Company, Pets at Home and Thomson Reuters are among those already creating autonomous agents via Copilot to increase revenue and reduce costs, according to Spataro.

In recent quarters, Microsoft's investment in AI agents has become a priority. In its last quarterly report, it reported $19 billion in capital expenditures, with much of that revolving around AI and cloud-related technology, Microsoft CFO Amy Hood said.