Microsoft is transforming Copilot into an autonomous agent thanks to Anthropic

In a Reuters dispatch, Microsoft has just announced a new series of features that bring Copilot closer to a truly autonomous agent capable of performing complete tasks for users.

This evolution is based on a partnership with Anthropic, with the ambition of transforming Copilot into a digital collaborator capable of acting directly within work applications, without constant human intervention…

Copilot becomes an agent capable of acting independently

Claude Comes to Excel – Source: Microsoft

The main new feature announced by Microsoft is called Copilot Cowork, and is directly inspired by Claude Cowork to introduce so-called "agentic" capabilities into Microsoft 365.

In concrete terms, Copilot is no longer limited to answering questions in a chatbot, but the tool can now access a user's files, emails, or even calendar to perform tasks autonomously.

For example, the agent can create an Excel spreadsheet, produce a report, analyze data, or prepare a PowerPoint presentation. It can also review a professional calendar, identify unnecessary meetings, and automatically suggest changes.

According to Charles Lamanna, president of business applications at Microsoft, this approach is changing the way we interact with artificial intelligence. The user no longer needs to guide each step: they can delegate an entire task to the agent, who then handles it autonomously.

AI integrated throughout the Microsoft 365 suite

Soon, PowerPoint presentations created by Claude?

– Source: Microsoft

These new capabilities will be progressively integrated into the main Microsoft 365 tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

In Word, Copilot will be able to restructure documents, rewrite sections, or generate summaries based on the user's meetings, files, and exchanges. Excel will also benefit from more advanced analytics, capable of transforming raw data into financial forecasts or analytical dashboards.

For its part, PowerPoint is also evolving with the ability to generate complete presentations from a simple query, including market analyses and competitive comparisons.

Finally, Microsoft also announced Agent 365, a platform for businesses to oversee all the AI agents used by their teams, starting at $15 per user per month.

A Strategy to Accelerate AI Adoption in Business

With these announcements, Microsoft seeks to strengthen the attractiveness of its offering in the face of increasing competition in generative AI. The company is expanding its technology partnerships and now offers models from both Anthropic and OpenAI in Copilot. On Microsoft's side, adoption already seems to be progressing rapidly. The company reports that the number of paid Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses has increased by 160% year-over-year, while daily use of the tool has reportedly increased tenfold. The future will tell us how these agents will be integrated into the daily work of professionals, at a time when AI is generating as much enthusiasm as it is raising questions about the evolution of jobs.