Microsoft has announced new AI capabilities to help companies automate and optimize their business processes.
Starting next month, the autonomous agents introduced in May will be available in public preview for smaller businesses through Copilot Studio. Additionally, Microsoft is integrating ten new autonomous agents into its Dynamics 365 business software.
Copilot Studio allows companies to create their own AI agents that leverage information stored in the Microsoft 365 Graph. These agents work on behalf of employees, teams, or entire departments to automate routine tasks. Copilot Studio serves as the central interface for interacting with the agents.
For example, a Copilot can respond to an incoming email, retrieve sender details, review previous communications, and use generative AI to trigger an appropriate chain of actions in the reply.
Microsoft suggests several use cases for Copilot, including an IT helpdesk agent that autonomously handles tickets, an agent for onboarding new employees, and a personal concierge for sales and service that remembers guest preferences and proactively suggests upselling opportunities.
Copilot reportedly already used by 60 percent of the Fortune 500
According to Jared Spataro, Microsoft's marketing chief for AI in enterprises, 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies are already using the Microsoft 365 Copilot AI solution. Telecommunications provider Lumen Technologies, industrial conglomerate Honeywell, and financial software provider Finastra report productivity gains and cost savings, Spataro wrote on a blog post.
Several companies, including law firm Clifford Chance, consulting firm McKinsey, pet care chain Pets at Home, and media company Thomson Reuters, are already using Copilot Studio to develop their own agents. For instance, Pets at Home has deployed an agent to detect potential fraud cases more quickly.
Microsoft itself also uses agents
Microsoft itself is using Copilot and agents to improve internal processes. A sales team increased its revenue per employee by 9.4 percent, according to Spataro. A customer service team is handling inquiries almost 12 percent faster.
For sales, customer service, finance, and supply chain teams, Microsoft offers ten pre-built agents in Dynamics 365, including an agent for evaluating sales opportunities, an agent for communicating with suppliers, and agents for identifying customer needs and managing customer knowledge.
Microsoft emphasizes that all agents comply with company policies for security, privacy, and responsible AI use. The agents' data sources are subject to strict security measures managed in Copilot Studio.
The Copilot AI platform, launched in March 2023, aims to transform both everyday life for private users and businesses. Using OpenAI language models, Microsoft integrates AI functions into its Office suite, among other applications.
Microsoft 365 Copilot, including Copilot Studio, is available starting at €28.10 per user per month. To create custom agents available across multiple channels for employees and customers, a subscription costing €187.20 per month is required, which includes 25,000 messages.
