Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy licenses, just like employees

latand6

What the hell? If a company gets more efficient and uses fewer people - Microsoft's immediate reaction is to figure out how to invent some kind of digital seats so they can keep taxing the headcount. Lol

monospaced

SAP has been doing something similar for years now. They call it indirect use. If a system integrates with SAP and accesses data you have to pay licensing fees. Even if you host the SAP system yourself.

WhereIsTheTruth

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is exactly why you should never let Microslop win

benbristow

Free article: https://www.techradar.com/pro/microsoft-is-reportedly-planni...

tonyedgecombe

Perhaps we can use AI agents to obviate the need to use Microsoft products.

poulpy123

5 mn after they implement that there will be a tool to have only one agent for the whole company

1attice

From the we-accidentally-nuked-our-business-strategy department. Bravo, Microsoft, for finally noticing the entailment of replacing workers with AI most critical for a company whose proven revenues come from selling "seats"

tracker1

I'd say it depends on the product and how that product is used with/by the agent and if/how a user is controlling said agent(s).

cybercatgurrl

This just sounds like a new kind of rent seeking.