MC985480 – (Updated) Microsoft 365 Copilot: New custom engine agents (archived)

Product:

Copilot, Microsoft 365 admin center, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Power Automate, Teams

Platform:

Developer, Online, Web, Windows Desktop, World tenant

Status:

Launched

Change type:

Admin impact, New feature, Updated message, User impact

Links:

474439

Details:

Summary:
Microsoft 365 Copilot will soon support custom engine agents, allowing organizations to create specialized agents using any large language model or toolchain. The rollout begins in February 2025 for public preview and will be generally available by July 2025. Admins can deploy and manage these agents via the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Details:
Updated May 29, 2025: We have updated the timeline below. Thank you for your patience.
We are thrilled to announce the upcoming rollout of custom engine agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot. These agents are specialized agentic solutions that can be built on any large language model (LLM), toolchain, or orchestration tool tailored for specific domain or tenant workflows. This feature is already supported in Microsoft Teams and will be available after this rollout in Microsoft 365 Copilot Business Chat (BizChat).
To access custom engine agents, your organization will need a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 474439.
[When this will happen:]
Public Preview: We will begin rolling out early February 2025 and expect to complete in mid-March 2025.
General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out in late June 2025 (previously late May) and expect to complete by early July 2025 (previously early June).

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
General Availability, Preview

Created:
2025-01-22

updated:
2025-05-30

Public Preview Start Date

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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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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

Deployment of Custom Engine Agents
Without proper preparation, the automatic rollout of custom engine agents may lead to confusion among users regarding their functionalities and usage, potentially resulting in inefficient workflows.
   - roles: IT Administrators, End Users
   - references: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/manage-copilot-agents-integrated-apps?view=o365-worldwide, https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=474439

User Access and Permissions
If users are not informed about the new access permissions and sharing settings for custom engine agents, it may lead to unauthorized access or misuse of sensitive data.
   - roles: IT Administrators, Compliance Officers
   - references: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/manage-copilot-agents-integrated-apps?view=o365-worldwide, https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot-studio/admin-share-bots?tabs=web

Integration with Existing Systems
The introduction of custom engine agents without adequate testing and preparation may cause integration issues with existing systems, leading to disruptions in service and user experience.
   - roles: Developers, IT Support Staff
   - references: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365-copilot/extensibility/overview-custom-engine-agent, https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/platform/bots/how-to/teams-conversational-ai/teams-conversation-ai-overview?tabs=javascript%2Cjavascript1

Configutation Options**

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Opportunities**

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Potentional Risks**

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Data Protection**

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IT Security**

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DPIA Draft**

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explanation for non-techies**

Microsoft 365 Copilot is introducing a new feature that allows organizations to create custom engine agents. Think of these agents as specialized assistants tailored to your specific business needs. Imagine if you could have a personal assistant who not only understands your business language but also uses the tools and processes unique to your company. That's what these custom engine agents aim to do.

Starting in February 2025, organizations will be able to preview this feature, with full availability expected by July 2025. These agents can be built using any large language model or toolchain, meaning you can use your own AI systems to create solutions that fit your workflows perfectly. It's like having a toolkit that allows you to build a custom robot assistant for your office, using parts and instructions that make sense for your specific tasks.

To manage these agents, administrators will use the Microsoft 365 admin center. It's similar to how a manager might oversee a team of assistants, ensuring they have the right tools and permissions to do their jobs effectively. Admins can decide who in the organization can create and deploy these agents, much like assigning tasks to team members based on their skills and roles.

For those who want to create these agents, Microsoft offers tools like Copilot Studio for those who prefer a simpler, low-code approach, and the Teams Toolkit in Visual Studio for more advanced, pro-code solutions. It's akin to choosing between using a simple app to organize your tasks or diving into a more complex software to customize every detail.

Once created, these agents can be shared within the organization, subject to admin approval. This is like setting up a new internal process and getting the necessary approvals before everyone can start using it. The rollout will happen automatically, so organizations don't need to take any immediate action but should review their current settings to see how this change might affect them.

Overall, this new feature offers a way to enhance productivity by creating digital assistants that are as unique as your business. It's about leveraging technology to streamline operations and improve efficiency, much like how businesses have always adapted tools to fit their needs.