Microsoft is preparing to unveil autonomous AI agents next month, a major step in the company’s efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into everyday business operations. These AI-powered virtual workers are designed to handle tasks such as customer inquiries, lead identification and supply chain management as the tech industry races to prove the practical value of AI advances.

With its new Copilot Studio product, Microsoft will allow companies to create their own artificial intelligence agents without requiring any programming skills. Additionally, the company plans to release 10 pre-configured AI agents designed to perform specific functions such as customer service and supply chain tasks. Early adopters including consulting firm McKinsey, law firm Clifford Chance and retailer Pets at Home are already using these agents to streamline operations such as scheduling appointments and managing customer inquiries.

During a recent event in London, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the potential of these AI agents to improve productivity by eliminating repetitive tasks. Nadella noted that these tools could revolutionize outsourcing, increasing efficiency and reducing wasted time. He stressed that AI agents will allow employees to focus on more important tasks, reducing what he called the “drudgery” of routine work.

The goal of Copilot Studio is to make it easy to create artificial intelligence agents without requiring any technical knowledge from users. These agents will run on artificial intelligence models developed by Microsoft, as well as technology from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.

Microsoft’s artificial intelligence ambitions extend even further: the company is working on an agent that can perform transactions on behalf of users. Mustafa Suleiman, head of artificial intelligence at Microsoft, said that while early prototypes of the transaction-capable agent have encountered problems, the technology is evolving quickly and could be available within months.

Despite the excitement surrounding these developments, there are concerns about the potential impact of AI agents on employment. However, Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president of Microsoft, compared the introduction of artificial intelligence agents to the advent of personal computers, which were initially introduced in certain areas, but over time became indispensable in all workplaces. Lamanna told The Guardian that AI agents will empower employees by taking over monotonous tasks, allowing them to focus on more creative and meaningful work.

Industry experts believe that AI agents can provide a return on technology companies’ significant investments in AI. Andrew Rogoiski, director of the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence at the University of Surrey, noted that while it is still unclear how much revenue AI agents will generate, they could demonstrate the practical benefits of artificial intelligence and help justify the billions of dollars that have been invested in it. . entered into research and development in the field of artificial intelligence.