Microsoft Unveils AI 'Virtual Employees' for Businesses

Tech giant Microsoft is releasing 10 ready-made AI assistants, as well as a tool called Copilot Studio that lets businesses build custom virtual helpers. These digital helpers can tackle various tasks, from managing customer queries to spotting potential sales opportunities. 

Some big names are already trying out the technology. McKinsey, a top consulting firm, is building an agent to handle new client inquiries, while the law firm, Clifford Chance, and shop chain, Pets at Home, are also testing the water.

Microsoft's chief executive, Satya Nadella, believes these AI helpers will boost productivity by freeing up workers from repetitive tasks that he labelled “drudgery” at a London event, stating: “These tools are fundamentally changing outsourcing, increasing value, and reducing waste.”

The clever bit is that you don't need to be a coding expert to create these AI assistants. Nadella describes Copilot Studio as a "no-code way" for companies to build their own agents.

Microsoft is also working on an AI agent that can make purchases for you, though it's not quite ready yet. The company’s AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, revealed they've seen mixed results with the agent so far, with some “stunning demos,” as well as “some car crash moments where it doesn't know what it's doing”. That being said, Suleyman believes this feature will be available within a matter of months rather than years.

Some might worry that ‘virtual employees’ could impact the employment of humans, but Microsoft's Charles Lamanna told The Guardian that he believes “it’s much more of an enabler and an empowerment tool than anything else”.