Microsoft, relying on the pay-as-you-go approach to increase the technology's uptake, launched a chat service that enables companies to deploy on-demand AI agents for repetitive work.

Using natural languages like English and Mandarin, users may develop AI agents for activities like market research, strategy document authoring, and meeting preparation with Copilot Chat, a free tool that leverages OpenAI's GPT-4.

However, a $30 monthly Microsoft 365 Copilot membership is needed to use capabilities like making PowerPoint slides and summarizing and transcribing Teams calls.

Given that the software behemoth plans to spend over $80 billion on data centers and AI infrastructure this fiscal year, Microsoft, like other large tech firms, is under pressure to demonstrate the returns on its significant investments in AI.

Microsoft has been promoting the use of Copilot since a Gartner analysis last year cast doubt on its penetration.

Microsoft started letting users develop self-governing agents in November that needed no human involvement. According to some analysts, this approach would give computer corporations an easier way to make money.

Copilot Chat is not available in Office programs like Word and Excel, in contrast to Microsoft 365 Copilot. Users can access Copilot Chat using the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on iOS, Android, and Windows.

Although he did not provide the exact number of users, CEO Satya Nadella stated in October that the number of individuals using Microsoft 365 Copilot daily more than doubled from quarter to quarter. However, more people are signing up.

In October, UBS announced that it had 50,000 licenses for Microsoft 365 Copilot, while in November, Accenture pledged to have 200,000 customers.