STORY: Microsoft will allow its customers to build autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agents from next month.It’s part of the company’s latest push to tap the booming technology……amid increasing investor scrutiny of its hefty investments in AI. These so-called autonomous agents are programs that need little human intervention – unlike chatbots.And the company is branding them as “apps for an AI-driven world” that can handle client queries, identify sales leads and manage inventory.Microsoft said its customers can use program Copilot Studio to create such agents in public preview from November.It’s using several AI models developed both in-house and by OpenAI for these agents.Rivals like Salesforce have also touted the potential of such tools, which some analysts say could provide tech giants with an easier path to monetizing the billions of dollars they’re pouring into AI. That’s as many of them face pressure to show returns on these investments.Some concerns have risen in recent months about the pace of Microsoft’s Copilot adoption.Microsoft’s shares fell 2.8% in the September quarter – but remain more than 10% higher for the year.