About AI agents and assistants

Artificial intelligence agents refer to information systems that use AI models to automatically perform tasks. Based on predefined instructions, agents can autonomously initiate and carry out actions on behalf of the user. Often, the term agent is used as a generic label that also includes various types of AI assistants.

AI assistants are typically chat-based applications. They differ from agents in that they do not perform actions autonomously. AI assistants always require user guidance and a prompt, such as initiating a conversation. In product names such as Copilot Chat agents, the term agent may be used when referring AI assistants.

Creating Copilot Chat agents

Copilot Chat is available free of charge to staff and students of the Tampere higher education community at microsoft365.com/chat. With Copilot Chat, you can also create your own AI assistants.

Copilot Chat agents are given predefined instructions and a limited knowledge base, such as a specific website URL on which they base their responses. Using an agent, users can interact with and discuss the content of the public webpages that form the agent’s knowledge base. An agent answers questions strictly according to the given instructions and takes into account the defined styles, roles, limitations, and pre‑provided materials in its responses. Creating an agent is recommended if you have recurring, similar tasks for which you want to use AI. By creating an agent, you instruct the AI to always operate in a consistent way and according to a specific set of guidelines.

You can read more about creating Copilot Chat agents in the tip Build AI assistants with Copilot agent builder

Further content will be added to this page during the spring.