Microsoft has unveiled two groundbreaking Copilot agents for its Microsoft 365 subscribers: App Builder and Workflows. The App Builder agent empowers users to create fully functional applications directly from simple text prompts. Complementing this, the Workflows agent streamlines and automates routine tasks across essential Microsoft services like Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Planner, and Approvals.
These innovative agents are initially accessible to a select group of users enrolled in the Frontier program, with plans for a wider rollout to the general subscriber base in the near future. This announcement comes shortly after Google introduced similar “vibe coding” capabilities within its AI Studio, indicating a growing trend in AI-powered development tools.
Copilot’s New Horizon: Building Apps from Conversation
The tech giant, based in Redmond, confirmed the launch of these two new Copilot agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot users. While the Workflows agent is already available in the Agents Store, the App Builder agent is set to join it later this week. Both are exclusively for those in the Frontier program right now.
At its core, the App Builder agent offers a “vibe coding” experience. Users simply provide instructions through natural language text prompts, and the AI autonomously writes the necessary code to construct a working application. Microsoft highlights the agent’s multi-turn interaction capability, allowing users to continuously refine and enhance their app through successive prompts. It can effortlessly generate various interactive elements, including sophisticated dashboards, insightful charts, practical calculators, organized lists, and much more.
This intuitive approach means that even individuals without any coding background can visually preview and iterate on their app creations. Furthermore, Microsoft emphasizes that these AI-generated applications can be deployed without the need for complex database setups. Microsoft Lists seamlessly serves as the backend, facilitating the generation and storage of new data within the apps.
For enhanced control and personalization, the in-app experience is deeply integrated with the user’s existing Microsoft 365 content, leveraging documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and notes. Sharing these newly created applications is equally straightforward; users can distribute them via a simple link, much like sharing any other document.
The second new AI agent, Workflows, functions as a powerful automation tool. It can efficiently automate a wide array of tasks, such as sending emails and reminders, managing calendars, and disseminating team updates. Just like with App Builder, users can configure these automations by providing instructions in natural language, and the agent will handle the rest. It operates seamlessly across a suite of Microsoft products, including Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Planner, and various Approval services.
Modifying existing automations or adding new steps is also incredibly simple. Users merely need to input a prompt within the ongoing conversation, and the agent will implement the changes. Microsoft assures users that this feature is built upon the same robust infrastructure that powers Agent Flows for enterprise solutions, ensuring high reliability and performance.