Microsoft unveils AI agents, intensifying competition with Salesforce

Microsoft has announced the launch of a suite of artificial intelligence tools designed to enhance productivity for business users by automating tasks such as sending emails, managing records, and more. This initiative further escalates the competition with rivals like Salesforce.

The tech giant based in Redmond, Washington, revealed that it will introduce ten "autonomous agents" that will assist in various business functions, including sales, customer support, and accounting. These agents are set to enter public preview in December and will continue through early 2025. Additionally, Microsoft will enhance its Copilot Studio, enabling companies to create custom agents that can operate independently. This feature will be available in preview next month.

Jared Spataro, who oversees Microsoft’s workplace AI products, likened these agents to smartphone apps designed for the AI era. They are capable of performing tasks such as researching sales leads and updating customer support tickets after interactions. "We have identified areas where people invest a lot of time and money, typically on repetitive tasks that they wish to avoid. Automating these processes can yield significant benefits," Spataro stated.

With the backing of its partnership with OpenAI, Microsoft is at the forefront of the industry’s movement to integrate AI capabilities into software, allowing for the generation of text, images, and human-like reasoning. Since early 2023, Microsoft has focused on AI features requiring user prompts, prominently exemplified by its Copilot tools across products like Word and Outlook.

The next step in this AI evolution is the development of agents that can autonomously complete predefined tasks by leveraging generative AI and existing databases. Competitors in this space include ServiceNow, Workday, HubSpot, and SAP, all emphasizing the importance of AI agents in their offerings.

Salesforce, a leading provider of customer management software, has also been pushing its AI capabilities, showcasing its new Agentforce tool at its annual Dreamforce conference last month. This tool can handle customer service tasks independently and will be generally available later this month, with initial pricing set at approximately $2 per conversation.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has criticized Microsoft’s Copilot delivery in recent weeks, expressing disappointment in its implementation.

As Microsoft prepares to roll out its AI agents, pricing details remain undisclosed, although the Copilot Studio is included in the Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, priced at $30 per user per month. “The competitive landscape will ultimately hinge on which products deliver tangible results for real customers,” Spataro remarked.