Microsoft Integrates Anthropic AI into Copilot for Enterprise Agents
- tech360.tv
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Microsoft is integrating artificial intelligence technology from Anthropic into its Copilot service to meet demand for autonomous agents. The company on Monday unveiled Copilot Cowork, a tool based on Anthropic’s viral Claude Cowork offering, which has captivated Silicon Valley with its ability to handle complex tasks.
Claude Cowork handles complex tasks, including creating applications, building spreadsheets, and organising large volumes of data with limited human oversight. Microsoft aims to attract businesses interested in AI agents by leveraging its established relationships with enterprise customers and its focus on security and data controls.
Jared Spataro, who leads Microsoft’s AI-at-Work efforts, told Reuters that Copilot Cowork operates exclusively in a cloud environment and on behalf of the user. Spataro explained users know exactly what information Copilot Cowork accesses, contrasting it with Claude Cowork’s local device operation which he noted makes most companies ‘very uncomfortable’.
The launch follows weeks after Anthropic introduced new tools for Claude that heightened investor concerns about the potential threat of AI agents to traditional software companies. This concern triggered a selloff in the sector, leading to a nearly 9% drop in Microsoft’s shares in February.
The Copilot Cowork tool is currently in testing and will be available to early-access users later this month. Microsoft did not disclose specific pricing for Copilot Cowork, but indicated some usage would be included in its USD 30-per-user, per-month M365 Copilot offering for enterprises.
Additional usage will be available for purchase. Microsoft is also making Anthropic’s latest Claude Sonnet models available to M365 Copilot users. Previously, the M365 Copilot service relied only on OpenAI’s GPT models.
This move deepens Microsoft’s ties with Anthropic. Investors have questioned Microsoft’s dependence on OpenAI, which accounts for nearly 45% of Microsoft’s cloud business contract backlog.
Microsoft is integrating Anthropic's AI technology into its Copilot service.
The new offering, Copilot Cowork, is based on Anthropic’s Claude Cowork.
Based on Anthropic’s Claude Cowork, Copilot Cowork is poised to assist with complex tasks like application creation and data organisation with limited human oversight.
Source: REUTERS
