Microsoft reportedly eyes E7 tier to make AI agents pay their way – like the humans they'll replace

Microsoft is reportedly planning to license AI agents like employees – and charge accordingly. The megacorp is considering a new Microsoft 365 subscription tier, informally dubbed E7, that would bundle Copilot and agent management tools as enterprises begin deploying AI agents alongside human staff. According to Mary Jo Foley …

[Paul Herber]

I'm very happy to pay

absolutely nothing not to use it.

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: I'm very happy to pay

But just wait a while and they'll charge you to not use it. Resistance is futile.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Resistance is futile

sorry no it is not futile. Just stop using any MS product. You know that it makes sense.

IMHO, of the AI Slop league table, MS Slop is pretty close to the top of the heap making it almost the most 'sloppy' of all.

[ecofeco]

Re: Resistance is futile

This.

M$ has taught people far too many bad habits and now people think they can't survive without the slop they aren't even aware they are using.

[Kurgan]

Re: I'm very happy to pay

You are already paying not to use it. AI has increased the cost of everything, because increasing IT costs and energy costs affect everything.

[Evil Scot]

Re: I'm very happy to pay

Then Cancel your 365 subscription.

...

There will be no other way to roll it back

[ComicalEngineer]

Re: I'm very happy to pay

What is this 365 subscription of which you speak?

[Paul Herber]

Re: I'm very happy to pay

No funds of mine knowingly go anywhere near MS, not for many years.

[Steve Davies 3]

I am very happy for Microslop

to pay me FOR NOT Using their AI.

No?

Well SatNad you and your AI drones can FsCK off.

[DS999]

Re: I am very happy for Microslop

Knowing how Microsoft operates, I think it is safe to say that down the road they'll bundle Copilot into lower tiers so you'll be paying for it whether you use it or not.

[Paul Crawford]

If they are like employees, do they come with a digital mens rea you can sue if they act maliciously?

[Anonymous Coward]

Never mind that, do they come with a tax code and a National Insurance number?

Let me guess, they are all domiciled on a shadow fleet trawler with diplomatic immunity.

[Anonymous Coward]

If they make lots of money they will move to the Cayman Islands for tax purposes!

[Anonymous Coward]

Good fix for AI. 50% tax rate on all things with AI name.

[Anonymous Coward]

They will be forgiven more easily than a human since there is no face to attach to them. Plus, they can be reprogrammed with fewer objections.

[ForthIsNotDead]

1) Bait

2) Switch

3) Gotcha

[ecofeco]

I had to scroll this far down.

Exactly.

[Rich 2]

Agent 365

“Agent 365” sounds like the title to a Sci-Fi “rogue agent gone crazy” film.

Or a deadly out-of-control pathogen. Either would work

[Bebu sa Ware]

Re: Agent 365

I was thinking a latter day Control Agent a sucessor to Agent 86 but never likely to get smart. Definitely "a deadly out-of-control pathogen."

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Agent 365

There is already an Agent 327, with lots of accolades including from within the USA.

may be the makers knew something about MS and the number 365.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN0zPOpADL4

[Claude Yeller]

Re: Agent 327

Agent 327 is indeed a long running business.

I wonder whether Agent 365 can still be trademarked by MS?

[[e-mail]]

Re: Agent 365

I wonder how long it will be before Micro$oft create a time machine and go back to when the calendars were invented, then sue the "calendar creators" for infringing their copyright by having 365 days in most years..?

Mine's the coat with the battered packet with large, friendly letters on the back saying "Don't panic"...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Agent 365

Or some particularly toxic pesticide or herbicide!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Agent 365

Agent Orange is resident in the White House.

[Evil Scot]

Re: Agent 365

Get me agent 47.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Agent 365

You are number six.

[ComicalEngineer]

Re: Agent 365

Who is number one?

[Paul Herber]

Re: Agent 365

I don't give a number two.

[ITMA]

Unionise....

How long before we hear AI "shop stewards" chanting:

"Down tools. Everyone out".

[Paul Hovnanian]

Re: Unionise....

Where is Abraham Lincoln when we need him again?

[David 132]

Re: Unionise....

Or indeed, Fred Kite.

[Lee D]

AI

Gee, it's almost like if you're not giving it away or subsidising it, then it's going to be more expensive than other options, and that if you provided us with the option so very few of us would bother that it would be entirely unprofitable anyway.

[Cris E]

Re: AI

The 1998 hype cycle wants its mindless fervor back.

No, wait, hear me out. You buy your pet food -- dog, cat, parrot, whatever -- on the web site, and it's delivered automatically every week for free. It's free because we take over the market and make up our costs on volume! You can't lose, we win, excellence all the way around. Eh? Eh? Now sign here...

[ecofeco]

Re: AI

2 years later: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, we now have to charge you shipping."

And shipping cost somehow continue to rise forever thereafter.

[Snowy]

While agents might not need the same salaries or benefits as human workers, they certainly need licenses.

Employees are easier to terminate than the licenses.

[Henry 8]

Skynet

Don't give the AI ideas about "terminating employees"

[Pete 2]

Missed a trick

> licensed in ways similar to human employees

But human workers only work¹ for 8 hours, 5 days a week. While an AI agent can be at it 24*7 I am surprised the MS licensing strategy isn't based on an hourly rate

[1] using the loosest possible definition of "work"

[IGotOut]

Re: Missed a trick

You're presuming Microslop can keep the service running for much more than a week at a time.

[ecofeco]

Re: Missed a trick

And the latter updates don't bork everything. Nor a sudden announcement that all your current service/products in use are now obsolete for reasons.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Oracle

Has Micro$aft hired a senior Oracle licencing lawyer?

[ecofeco]

Re: Oracle

Was there ever a difference?

[Anonymous Coward]

This makes perfect sense

A human can click through a few documents in a given span of time. AI agents are way more data-intensive. That'll put a much higher load on their infrastructure and mean a great deal of investment.

The problem here isn't Microsoft charging for providing what's probably quite a powerful, useful tool. The problem is that other companies have been unable to monetise AI/Agentic access to their systems because people pretend copyright, intent, informed consent, and other pretty foundational concepts don't apply to AI.

[ecofeco]

Re: This makes perfect sense

Yes and no. The first problem still exists. You are assuming utility where there is none.

So you get two for one!

[ecofeco]

Have your robot call my robot

No, they don't need lunch.

(someone might get that old joke)

[Claude Yeller]

Re: Have your robot call my robot

I have found that scenario too dumb even for marketing.

Have they not yet introduced fax, text, email, Whatsapp, or dm to robots? Is voice still necessary for robots to communicate.

[Mythical Ham-Lunch]

Mark my words, this will end up being more expensive than meatbags. Leading OpenAI et al to eventually become outsourcing agencies that sell you a 'biological agent' for less $$$ than the silicon variety. A very wide end run around employment standards, indeed.

[Anonymous Coward]

So yes this is confirmation that Microsoft didn't learn the lesson of Intune add-ons. People don't want to play this dumb game. We agreed to subscriptions and E5 all in top level. If you can't afford AI in that tier then drop AI. Almost nobody wants it and it's not really helping improve anything. Cut your losses Microsoft just like you did with so many other products you got over hyped about too early.

Will all this AI labelled technology be useful eventually totally. Is it worth spending all this money on currently absolutely not.

[munnoch]

"As AI agents function as digital workers, they need identities, email accounts"

No, they absolutely do not. Look up the definition of agent. Estate agent, travel agent etc.

An agent is an entity that acts in place of another entity. The entity on whose behalf they act remains the one legally accountable for the actions taken by agent. If your agent f*cks up then its still you who goes to jail.

So the email address and all the other identifying guff belongs to the human that the agent is representing. The agent does not have a unique and separate legal identity.

[Paul Uszak]

AI agents - the new employees.

Taking our jobs. Can they be deported?