Microsoft significantly expanded its AI platforms at Ignite 2024 with the launch of autonomous agents in Copilot Studio and the launch of Copilot Actions in Microsoft 365.

Microsoft expanded its AI platforms at Ignite 2024 with the launch of autonomous agents in Copilot Studio and the launch of Copilot Actions within Microsoft 365. According to Microsoft, these innovations are intended to improve business processes, automate repetitive tasks and simplify IT management, which can save time and costs. These new features support Microsoft’s broader vision of helping companies transition to an AI-first strategy.

Tons of announcements

The autonomous agents in Copilot Studio are now in public preview. According to Microsoft, these agents can act independently, make decisions based on real-time data and events, and adapt workflows to changing conditions without constant user intervention. By introducing an agent library, users gain access to pre-built agents for common scenarios.

Additionally, Microsoft introduced Agent Builder in Power Apps. This feature allows companies to automate existing logic and workflows, Microsoft said.

Microsoft 365 Copilot has been further enhanced with Copilot Actions, allowing users to automate daily tasks such as preparing for meetings or receiving action items. This feature is currently in private preview and will be rolled out more widely in the future. Copilot Pages now also offers interactive flowcharts and code blocks that can be easily shared and edited within teams.

Other new updates include improvements in Teams, such as aggregating visual content and translating PowerPoint presentations into more than 40 languages. Outlook users get new features like scheduling focus times and automatically creating meeting schedules.

Renewed AI agents

In addition, Microsoft is expanding its range of AI agents. SharePoint has a built-in agent that allows access to documents and knowledge within the organization. A (real-time) interpreter is introduced into teams to translate conversations and imitate speakers in other languages. The Employee Self-Service Agent in BizChat provides support for HR and IT issues and can be customized to specific business needs. Partners like ServiceNow will integrate their own agents with Copilot, which should help companies leverage specific data within departments like HR and sales.

Support for IT teams

For IT teams, Microsoft introduces the Copilot Control System, which offers features such as access control, usage reporting and ROI analysis. SharePoint Advanced Management is available to all Copilot customers at no additional cost, while Viva Insights provides new tools to measure Copilot’s impact. Microsoft emphasizes the added value for IT professionals, but the effectiveness of these tools still has to be proven in practice.

Windows 11 gets new security features, including the Windows Resiliency Initiative. This provides tighter control over which apps and drivers can run and improved protection against phishing. In addition, Quick Machine Recovery has also been proposed, which enables rapid recovery of systems without physical access to devices. Windows 11 strengthens hardware security with features like TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Users can take advantage of new options such as Windows Hello authentication with passkeys and temporary administrative access for specific tasks.

As part of its new AI and cloud solutions, Microsoft previously introduced Copilot+ PCs. These PCs use neural processing units (NPUs) to provide powerful AI functionality. Developers can leverage new AI APIs such as image recognition and object removal through Windows Copilot Runtime.

Microsoft also introduced Windows 365 Link, a compact device that provides secure and fast access to cloud PCs. This device focuses on both security and ease of use, without local data storage. Windows 365 Link will be available from April 2025.