During the annual Ignite event, Microsoft presented new details about AI agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio. We are certainly looking forward to the impact of this innovation: more productivity, less hassle, and smarter business operations. But what does that exactly entail? And what is the impact of AI agents on your workday?
Tue, 10 December 2024
An AI agent is a digital assistant that performs tasks or solves problems for the user. It's like having a digital colleague who understands instructions, makes decisions, and carries out actions that you input.
An arbitrary example: you're going on vacation. Where Microsoft 365 Copilot can find your vacation documents, an AI agent actually books your holiday and puts the dates in your calendar. Agents are specialized in specific tasks, such as:
Multiple specialized agents make the system more efficient and user-friendly.
Just as you would go to different colleagues for specific questions in real life, you can extend M365 Copilot with additional AI agents. This way, you get faster and more accurate results.
Every business department has unique tasks and needs. A sales employee has different priorities than a software engineer.
With specialized agents, you ensure that the AI performance aligns with specific roles within the company. Consider:
The general assistant (M365 Copilot) distributes tasks to specialized agents. Users thus have only one entry point, but benefit from the power of several agents at once.
For instance, an HR assistant can manage multiple agents, such as for vacations, insurances, and onboarding. It keeps the experience simple and clear for the user.
Agents work independently, so that errors in one agent do not disrupt the entire system. Moreover, multiple agents can work at the same time, which is convenient for large workloads.
AI agents in MS365 can give your workday a serious boost in productivity. But just like with all other tools, they also bring some challenges. Consider, for example:
A clear strategy is therefore essential to maintain a healthy 'fellowship of the agents' and to get the most out of your investment.
First and foremost, map out what your organization needs. Which processes can you automate? Where are there opportunities?
Determine what you want to achieve. This helps you measure the success of your agents and avoid unnecessary or duplicate agents.
Microsoft offers tools such as Copilot Studio for simple development or Azure AI Foundry for complex applications. Choose a solution that fits your budget and technical capabilities.
Manage the data your agents use carefully. This prevents misuse and ensures compliance.
Establish a standard process for the development, testing, and monitoring of agents. This way, you keep everything under control and work responsibly.
The grand entrance of AI agents brings a breath of fresh air to the workplace: it increases your teams' productivity and encourages innovative thinking about alternative solutions. At Arxus, we believe that with the right strategy and implementation, tools like these can offer tremendous added value to any company – and we are here to help you with that with great care.
Our experts are happy to speak with you. Contact us for a no-obligation conversation.
Generative AI. De kans is groot dat je er al van gehoord of mee gewerkt hebt. Chat GPT, het bekendste voorbeeld onder de generative AI-tools, bereikte de kaap van 100 miljoen gebruikers in amper twee maanden tijd. Ter vergelijking: TikTok en Instagram deden er respectievelijk negen en 30 maanden over. “Schrijf een diepgaande, integrerende blog over generative AI met de voornaamste voordelen, gevaren, en hoe je het in je werkplek kan integreren.” Hieronder het resultaat van de prompt waarmee onze eigen expert, Kevin Meuldermans, aan de slag is gegaan.
"We geloven dat Copilot onze (werk)relatie met technologie fundamenteel zal veranderen, en een nieuw tijdperk van personal computing zal inluiden”, zegt niemand minder dan Microsoft ceo Satya Nadella. Ook voor Arxus zat Microsoft 365 Copilot er al een tijdje aan te komen. Als deel van het early access programma hebben we de tool al intensief en diepgaand kunnen testen. Zal 1 november voor altijd herinnerd worden als de dag dat Microsoft 365 Copilot voor het eerst het daglicht zag? Laat ons de basics van de tool bespreken en je helpen voor te bereiden op the next big thing.
