Microsoft's New AI 'Helpers' Do More Than Just Chat

At a recent conference in Chicago, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shared some exciting news about the company's latest artificial intelligence tools. These aren't your average chatbots; they're more like personal assistants that can handle tasks for you, both at work and in your personal life. Think of them as AI agents that can work around the clock, managing things like customer returns or checking shipping invoices to avoid costly mistakes. Microsoft is gearing up for a future where every business has a team of these AI helpers, ranging from simple ones that respond to prompts to fully independent ones. This shift comes as users start to see the limits of current chatbot systems like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini, which are great at predicting the next word but not so good at long-term planning or tasks that require web access or computer control. Other companies, like Salesforce, are also developing similar AI services. However, not everyone is on board with this new direction. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has criticized Microsoft's move, even calling their flagship AI assistant, Copilot, a "flop" that struggles with accuracy and data protection.