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.

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.

Benioff first compared Copilot to Clippy at Salesforce's Dreamforce conference last month and doubled down on the comment this week.

Virtual workers  Software King of the World, Microsoft is going to allow its punters to build autonomous AI agents and create virtual workers. The move is part of Vole’s broader effort to expand its presence in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

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,