Microsoft is launching artificial intelligence-driven “autonomous agents” for its Copilot software, the company said Monday, in a move seemingly made to push Salesforce on customer management software.

Microsoft envisions AI agents taking on responsibilities across the workplace more than ever before. It's releasing 10 fine-tuned agents as well as the ability to create your own.

Salesforce has also touted the potential of AI agents, tools that some analysts say could provide companies with an easier path to monetizing the billions of dollars they are pouring into AI.

From next month, companies will be able to use Copilot Studio to create their own AI agents to automate tasks. The competition already does this.

While some are eager to declare the era of autonomous agents upon us, the reality is a bit more complicated — and that's probably a good thing. Why it matters: Giving autonomy to generative AI tools opens up a range of tantalizing possibilities for increased productivity,