Oct 21 Reuters Microsoft will allow customers to build autonomous artificial intelligence agents starting in November, the software giant said on Monday, in its latest move to tap the booming technology.

The company is positioning autonomous agents programs which require little human intervention unlike chatbots as apps for an AIdriven world, capable of handling client inquiries, identifying sales leads and managing inventory.

Other big technology firms such as Salesforce have also touted the potential of such agents, tools that some analysts say could provide companies with an easier path to monetizing the billions of dollars they are pouring into AI.

Microsoft said its customers can use Copilot Studio an application that requires little knowledge of computer code to create autonomous agents in public preview from November. It is using several AI models developed inhouse and by OpenAI for the agents.

The company is also introducing ten readyforuse agents that can help with routine tasks ranging from managing supply chain to expense tracking and client communications.

In one demo, McKinsey Co, which had early access to the tools, created an agent that can manage client inquires by checking interaction history, identifying the consultant for the task and scheduling a followup meeting.

The idea is that Copilot the company39;s chatbot is the user interface for AI, Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president of business and industry Copilot at Microsoft, told…