check before: 2025-09-15
Product:
Copilot, Copilot Chat, Entra, Microsoft 365 admin center, Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Viva Insights, Teams
Platform:
Online, Teams And Surface Devices, Web, World tenant
Status:
Cancelled
Change type:
New feature, User impact, Admin impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
The Skills agent, powered by People Skills, is now available in Frontier for early Microsoft 365 Copilot access, helping identify and develop skills across Teams, Surface, and Web. Admins can manage deployment via the Copilot Control center. Rollout began September 2025 but is paused for now.
Details:
Updated October 22, 2025: To ensure an optimal experience for our customers we have determined that we won't be proceeding with this change at this time. We will communicate future updates via Message center.
[Introduction:]
The Skills agent is now available in Frontier, a program that provides early access to experimental Microsoft 365 Copilot innovations. The Skills agent helps individuals and leaders discover people with specific skills, make informed decisions about skill development, and build dynamic, skill-based teams. It is available across Microsoft Teams, Surface devices, and Web experiences.
The Skills agent is powered by the People Skills service, which infers skills from user activity mapped to a customizable built-in skill taxonomy. People Skills enhances Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Viva experiences with contextualized information about the people in your organization.
Frontier agents and AI features are previews, built for evaluation and feedback purposes. These features are still in development, and their availability and capabilities may change at any time.
Users must have an active Microsoft 365 Copilot license to access Frontier features.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 489823.
[When this will happen:]
Frontier Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins week of September 15, 2025, and is expected to complete by the week of September 22, 2025.
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
Preview
Created:
2025-09-19
updated:
2025-10-23
Task Type
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Docu to Check
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MS How does it affect me
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MS Preperations
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MS Urgency
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MS workload name
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linked item details
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summary for non-techies**
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Direct effects for Operations**
Deployment Issues
Without proper preparation, admins may face challenges in deploying the Skills agent, leading to potential misconfigurations and user access issues.
- roles: Admins, IT Support
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/copilot/microsoft-365/people-skills-overview, https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/admin/manage/manage-copilot-agents-integrated-apps?view=o365-worldwide#settings-for-agents
User Experience Disruption
Users may experience confusion or frustration if the Skills agent is deployed without adequate communication or training, impacting their ability to utilize the new features effectively.
- roles: End Users, Team Leaders
- references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/announcing-people-skills-general-availability-and-new-skills-agent/4406364, https://adoption.microsoft.com/ai-agents/people-skills/
Data Privacy Concerns
The introduction of AI capabilities without proper setup may lead to unintended data privacy issues, as users might not be aware of how their data is being used or shared.
- roles: Compliance Officers, Data Protection Officers
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/copilot/microsoft-365/people-skills-sharing-inferencing-controls, https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/insights/advanced/setup-maint/manager-settings#configure-manager-settings
Configutation Options**
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Opportunities**
Enhanced Skills Development
Utilizing the Skills agent can significantly improve how organizations identify and develop employee skills, leading to more effective training programs and team formations based on expertise. This can enhance overall productivity and employee satisfaction by aligning tasks with individual strengths.
- next-steps: Conduct a pilot program to assess the Skills agent's impact on team performance and employee engagement. Gather feedback from users to refine the deployment strategy.
- roles: HR Managers, Team Leaders, Training Coordinators
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/copilot/microsoft-365/people-skills-overview, https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/announcing-people-skills-general-availability-and-new-skills-agent/4406364
Improved Team Dynamics
The Skills agent allows for the creation of dynamic, skill-based teams by matching individuals with complementary skills, which can lead to improved collaboration and project outcomes. This can also foster a culture of learning and development within the organization.
- next-steps: Identify key projects that could benefit from skill-based team formations and implement the Skills agent to facilitate these groupings. Monitor project success and team interactions.
- roles: Project Managers, Team Leaders, Department Heads
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/insights/advanced/setup-maint/manager-settings#configure-manager-settings, https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=489823
Data-Driven Decision Making
By leveraging the Skills agent's insights, leaders can make more informed decisions regarding talent management and development strategies, ensuring that skill gaps are identified and addressed proactively.
- next-steps: Integrate the Skills agent's reports into regular management reviews to assess skill availability and development needs. Train leaders on interpreting and utilizing these insights effectively.
- roles: Executives, HR Managers, Team Leaders
- references: https://adoption.microsoft.com/ai-agents/people-skills/, https://learn.microsoft.com/copilot/microsoft-365/people-skills-sharing-inferencing-controls
Potentional Risks**
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Data Protection**
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IT Security**
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Hypothetical Work Council Statement**
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DPIA Draft**
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explanation for non-techies**
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** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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change history
| Date | Property | old | new |
| 2025-10-23 | MC Messages | [Introduction:]
The Skills agent is now available in Frontier, a program that provides early access to experimental Microsoft 365 Copilot innovations. The Skills agent helps individuals and leaders discover people with specific skills, make informed decisions about skill development, and build dynamic, skill-based teams. It is available across Microsoft Teams, Surface devices, and Web experiences. The Skills agent is powered by the People Skills service, which infers skills from user activity mapped to a customizable built-in skill taxonomy. People Skills enhances Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Viva experiences with contextualized information about the people in your organization. Frontier agents and AI features are previews, built for evaluation and feedback purposes. These features are still in development, and their availability and capabilities may change at any time. Users must have an active Microsoft 365 Copilot license to access Frontier features. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 489823. [When this will happen:] Frontier Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins week of September 15, 2025, and is expected to complete by the week of September 22, 2025. | Updated October 22, 2025: To ensure an optimal experience for our customers we have determined that we won't be proceeding with this change at this time. We will communicate future updates via Message center.
[Introduction:] The Skills agent is now available in Frontier, a program that provides early access to experimental Microsoft 365 Copilot innovations. The Skills agent helps individuals and leaders discover people with specific skills, make informed decisions about skill development, and build dynamic, skill-based teams. It is available across Microsoft Teams, Surface devices, and Web experiences. The Skills agent is powered by the People Skills service, which infers skills from user activity mapped to a customizable built-in skill taxonomy. People Skills enhances Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Viva experiences with contextualized information about the people in your organization. Frontier agents and AI features are previews, built for evaluation and feedback purposes. These features are still in development, and their availability and capabilities may change at any time. Users must have an active Microsoft 365 Copilot license to access Frontier features. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 489823. [When this will happen:] Frontier Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins week of September 15, 2025, and is expected to complete by the week of September 22, 2025. |
| 2025-10-23 | MC Title | Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365): Skills agent now available in Frontier | (Updated) Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365): Skills agent now available in Frontier |
| 2025-10-23 | MC End Time | 10/23/2025 09:00:00 | 2025-10-31T08:00:00Z |
| 2025-10-23 | MC Last Updated | 09/19/2025 01:48:03 | 2025-10-23T01:08:14Z |
| 2025-10-23 | MC Summary | The Skills agent, now in Microsoft 365 Copilot's Frontier program, helps identify and develop skills, building skill-based teams across Teams, Surface, and Web. Powered by People Skills, it requires a Copilot license and admin deployment via the Copilot Control center. Rollout begins September 2025. | The Skills agent, powered by People Skills, is now available in Frontier for early Microsoft 365 Copilot access, helping identify and develop skills across Teams, Surface, and Web. Admins can manage deployment via the Copilot Control center. Rollout began September 2025 but is paused for now. |
Last updated 1 month ago ago
