Microsoft has unveiled its new Copilot Agents, which it says will help small businesses leverage artificial intelligence to “automate and execute business processes.”
Users will be able to create, manage, and deploy agents across multiple platforms, including Teams, websites, and mobile apps, to streamline many daily operations.
Copilot agents are designed to be highly customizable and adapt to the unique needs of each business, leading Microsoft to envision the technology as a tool that can work “with or for humans.”
Microsoft wants to boost SMEs with Copilot Agents
Agents can have different use cases and their complexity can vary. Common tasks include information retrieval, task execution, and in some cases, autonomous operation by taking action without the need for human intervention.
Companies can create agents in Copilot Studio using a process that is designed to be user-friendly. Microsoft envisions employees with little or no coding experience developing their own agents using natural language prompts.
Enterprises can manage their Copilot Agents through centralized controls to maintain security and compliance.
For the end user, interacting with an Agent could be as simple as mentioning @ to share new information and ask questions.
Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president of Business & Industry Copilot at Microsoft, said: “We believe autonomous agents will fundamentally change business processes.”
Lamanna added: “We believe that organizations that embrace AI will create and use many Copilot agents. There will be as many agents as there are SharePoint documents or sites in an organization.”
Microsoft says Copilot adopters typically see more freed-up time and efficiency improvements, and the addition of Copilot Agents is expected to help SMBs stay ahead of the curve as larger, more resourceful companies invest more deeply in emerging technologies.
