Microsoft showcases virtual employees as it opens AI tour

Next iteration of Copilot includes autonomous agents

Microsoft has announced the introduction of autonomous AI agents – coming soon to an office near you.

Microsoft has announced the introduction of autonomous AI agents – virtual employees if you prefer - which can perform admin tasks that Chief Executive, Satya Nadella described at the event in London yesterday as “drudgery.” This includes tasks like handling basic client queries and identifying sales leads.

Microsoft framed the launch of the newest iteration of Copilot as a tool to free employees of such tedium and enable them to focus on more productive and creative work.

“These tools are fundamentally changing outsourcing, increasing value and reducing waste,” he said.

In addition to releasing this off-the-shelf functionality, Microsoft is also providing the tools for customers to build and manage their own autonomous agents. These agents can operate independently to define plans, execute long-running tasks, and adapt to changes, making them suited to use in areas such as customer service or in back-office functions like supply chain management.

Copilot Studio launces officially next month, but some early adopters include firms such as McKinsey, which is building an agent to process new client inquiries. The bot scans incoming emails, extracts the relevant information and decides where to send the enquiry to, checks to see whether people have been in touch with the company before and replies to messages.

Other early adopters include the law firm Clifford Chance and retailer Pets at Home.

Copilot Studio certainly has the potential to democratise AI. Nadella described it as a “no-code way for you to be able to build agents”. Microsoft is powering the agents with several AI models developed in-house and by OpenAI.

Microsoft is also developing an AI agent that can carry out transactions on behalf of users. It is still work in progress though. The company’s head of AI, Mustafa Suleyman, has said he has seen “stunning demos” where the agent makes a purchase independently, but that it has also suffered “car crash moments” in development.

Nonetheless, Suleyman was bullish on timescales, predicting that an agent with such capabilities is likely to reach the marketplace within a few quarters, as opposed to being years away.

Microsoft was careful during the launch to emphasise the mix of AI and human beings. Jared Spataro, Chief Marketing Office, AI at Work, Microsoft compared the agents to factory robots.

“We believe that every organisation is going to be a mix of human workers that are doing very important work,” he said. “But also increasingly these agents will be working under the supervision of humans and then autonomously reporting back to humans.”

Microsoft also announced yesterday that it has signed a five-year strategic partnership with the government to accelerate AI-driven economic growth and public sector digital transformation, starting November 1, 2024. The partnership gives public sector organisations access to Microsoft’s products, including Copilot.

The collaboration aims to improve government services, foster innovation, create employment, and enhance digital skills through training programs., ultimately creating a more responsive, agile and digital public sector.