Microsoft has unveiled an exciting new feature of its artificial intelligence assistant Copilot. The tech giant is set to launch a public preview that enables users to create and personalize their own virtual assistants. These intelligent agents are designed to “understand the nature of your work and act on your behalf,” according to Microsoft. This advancement in AI technology promises to unlock enhanced “productivity, engagement and innovation” and is poised to facilitate the practical replacement of certain tasks within the workplace.
Copilot’s autonomous agents work ‘hand in hand’ with human workers
The capabilities of this technology are already incredibly advanced. Microsoft revealed that the agents will have the ability to autonomously research leads, engage in personalized email conversations and resolve customer service queries in real time. As the agent becomes more intertwined and familiar with the business and its objectives, their autonomous functions will continue to develop and advance.
Tech giants recognize that concerns surrounding AI development and job security are at a critical juncture. As Microsoft continues its rollout, the company is positioning these products as tools designed to work “hand in hand” with human employees, emphasizing collaboration over replacement. Tasks such as sorting through important emails, tracking data and generating reports—activities that often consume significant portions of employees’ workdays—are poised to become relics of the past.
Just as payroll systems became fully digitized in the early 2000s and virtual meeting platforms like Zoom took over during the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies like Copilot are expected to create a profound industrial impact, potentially on an even larger scale. Jensen Huang, chief executive at Nvidia, told Wired’s Lauren Goode at the 2024 SIGGRAPH conference, “Everybody will have an AI assistant. Every single company, every single job within the company, will have AI assistance.”
The future of workplace efficiency with Copilot’s new tools
A public preview of advanced agents is expected to debut next month in the Microsoft Copilot Studio, providing an intuitive experience for users familiar with LLM interfaces. Your primary role will be to guide the AI, allowing it to navigate its own path. By establishing a few fundamental rules and defining specific triggers, this innovative technology will eventually autonomously manage much of the workload, leveraging the extensive data you provide. Additionally, Microsoft has announced 10 new autonomous agents for Dynamics 365, its comprehensive enterprise resource planning platform.
Microsoft has also provided an update on the long-awaited Recall feature for Copilot, which has been on hold for quite some time. “With Recall, you have an explorable timeline of your PC’s past,” the company states. This AI-powered tool, which has already raised significant concerns regarding security and privacy, takes regular screenshots of a user’s screen, allowing them to navigate and search through their past activities with ease. Recall will be strictly opt-in and encrypts all data: “If a user doesn’t proactively choose to turn it on, it will be off, and snapshots will not be taken or saved,” Microsoft says.
At the beginning of October, Microsoft announced that its AI assistant, Copilot, now comes with a human-like voice and the ability to provide emotional support. “It’s coaching you, encouraging you, supporting you, teaching you. I think that isn’t going to feel like a computer anymore,” Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman told Wired.
Microsoft Copilot Studio, priced at $200 per month for 25,000 messages, is ideal for organizations seeking to develop custom AI agents that facilitate tailored customer interactions and enhance internal processes across multiple channels. Microsoft 365 Copilot instead offers a more budget-friendly option at just $30 per month for those with simpler AI needs.
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