Microsoft announced two new AI agents for Microsoft 365 (researchers and analysts) at Microsoft 365 Copilot on Tuesday, aiming to reconstruct the way researchers and data handle heavy tasks. These agents, which Microsoft calls “first inference agents,” are built to act like on-demand experts to work directly within familiar tools such as Word, Excel, and Teams.
Alongside the new agents, Microsoft has also announced an upgrade to Copilot Studio, a low-code platform for building custom AI tools. The message is clear: Microsoft wants AI to be burned into every layer of business operations.
“Our researchers and analyst agents are like having very skilled professionals to call you 24/7 across the work and the web. We are excited to bring reasoning to Microsoft 365 Copilot & Copilot Studio today.”
Researchers and Analysts: AI that feels like a team member
Microsoft Copilot AI Agent
Researcher agents help users with deep multi-step research. It combines external information from the web with email, meetings, files, chat – internal company data. Built on Openai’s research model, it can compile detailed information such as new product market plans, industry reports, opportunity analysis, and more.
What gives researchers extra value is the ability to draw external data from platforms like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Confluence. For example, marketing teams can use it to combine internal reports with public competitor data to build a complete campaign strategy without using switching tabs.
Meanwhile, analysts work like internal data scientists for non-technical users. Equipped with Openai’s O3-MINI model, it uses a step-by-step process to eliminate complex data problems. You can run Python code to analyze spreadsheets, make predictions, and generate visual charts. The code is displayed in real time, allowing users to see exactly how the conclusion is drawn.
Microsoft says this approach helps AI tools avoid common problems by making things. By allowing users to see the process, analysts provide more transparency. This is a move aimed at building trust among enterprise users.
Both agents will be rolled out in April 2025 as part of Microsoft’s new frontier program. This is an early access truck for customers to try out features that are still sophisticated. This is how Microsoft continues to improve its wild tools and get feedback.
Copilot Studio is smarter
Beyond the new agents, Microsoft is giving Copilot Studio a major upgrade. The platform supports deep inference and agent flow. Deep inference means that companies can build more capable agents to handle layered workflows, but agent flows allow companies to automate repeatable tasks such as processing feedback forms and expense reports.
This will directly counter Openai and Google. But Microsoft’s strength is its built-in connectivity to the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. These AI tools do not sit on the side. They already live in the apps people use every day. Earlier this month, the report that Openai plans to launch a new line of AI agents surfaced that prices range from $2,000 to $20,000 per month to $20,000 per month to perform tasks like code and PHD-level research.
Verge points out that Copilot Studio supports fully autonomous agents. This means that these agents can start tasks and respond to situations without waiting for human prompts. For example, a logistics manager can create agents that track inventory levels and send requests without the need for a constant check-in.
AI at work is no longer an option
Microsoft is consistent with its goal of giving all employees AI assistants and integrating smart agents into their daily work. Researchers and analysts are taking that idea further by stepping into roles that require real decision-making and analysis, as well as answering questions.
There are still some hurdles. As TechCrunch pointed out earlier, even the most sophisticated models can get things wrong, like pulling inaccurate sources or misleading data. Microsoft is trying to get ahead of this by making the tools more transparent and sticking to security and privacy standards. Copilot uses only data that stays within your organization’s GuardRails. This is a must for businesses that are already cautious about AI.
What’s next?
For now, Microsoft’s latest co-pilot agent is becoming more than just a useful feature. This is a signal for the way AI becomes a core part of the workplace. Researchers and analysts, which are set to launch in April, are part of a broader shift. It is about transferring AI from novelty to essentials.
Whether you put together strategic reports or sort your financial data, these agents are built to save time and make your team more effective. Copilot Studio’s expanding toolkit gives businesses more flexibility to build what they need without spinning up their full engineering team.
The future of work is not here. It’s already embedded in an Excel file.
Below are researchers of researchers’ activities
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Below is the actions of the analyst agent
Below is the video of the announcement.
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