In the evolving landscape of AI, leading firms are increasingly adopting lightweight AI agents to efficiently manage simple tasks, as larger models show diminishing returns.

Microsoft is launching a new pay-as-you-go plan called Copilot Chat, designed for corporate customers and featuring AI-powered capabilities for Microsoft 365.

The service includes AI agents that act as virtual colleagues, capable of automating tasks and monitoring email inboxes.

2025 is expected to be a significant year for AI agents, with growing industry interest due to their potential to enhance office productivity.

The company is committing approximately $80 billion this fiscal year to bolster its AI infrastructure and data centers, reflecting its dedication to advancing AI technology.

While Copilot Chat is available for free, users can subscribe to Microsoft 365 Copilot for $30 per month to access advanced features like summarizing Teams calls and creating PowerPoint slides.

Microsoft plans to meter the pricing for agent usage, although specific costs have yet to be disclosed.

In response to concerns about the adoption of Copilot, highlighted by a Gartner report, Microsoft has ramped up efforts to promote the service and increase user engagement.

The integration of AI in various sectors is also evident as Google partners with Mercedes-Benz to implement its AI agent, Project Jarvis, into automotive systems.

AI agents are defined as autonomous software that operates on behalf of users within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, enhancing productivity and efficiency.

Users can create and utilize these AI agents through Copilot Studio, with costs linked to usage and messaging rates.

The new service allows for knowledge retrieval from Microsoft Graph, which is optional and incurs a cost of 30 messages per retrieval.