Revolutionize the way you work with automation and AI (2024)

Sangya Singh, VP, Power Platform Automations , Tuesday, May 21, 2024

In 2023, Microsoft Power Automate introduced groundbreakingAI experiences that simplifyand accelerate automation development and process discovery for professional developers and business users alike. In 2024, Power Automate continues to build on these capabilities and takes great leaps in harnessing the transformative power of generative AI to revolutionize the automation landscape.

Continue reading to learn about new ways to automate, from outcome-based AI flows that simplify complex processes, to multi-modal AI recording that makes UI automation more natural, accessible, and resilient. Also see our latest features and enhancements for streamlined process management, flow authoring, and personal productivity that help everyone save time and focus on what matters most.

A quantum leap in productivity

A brand-new way to automate processes with AI flows

Until today, process automation required users to map out the entire sequence of triggers, actions, and conditions needed to achieve a process objective. Today, at Microsoft Build 2024, we are announcing our early access program for AI flows–a new way to automate that lets generative AI reason over unstructured content and determine what steps and sequence are needed to achieve a process outcome based on instructions and parameters provided by a user in natural language.

AI flows leverage the simplicity of natural language and the power of rapidly evolvinglarge language model (LLM) abilities to create more intelligent, flexible, and dynamic automation. Instead of building out complex rules-based processes from beginning to end, users work with AI to create an automation plan. When the plan is executed, the LLM considers all the resources available to it and dynamically selects the most appropriate actions to achieve the desired outcome.

Building an AI flow is a fundamentally different user experience than building a rules-based cloud flow or desktop flow and involves the following steps:

  • Step 1: Describe the objective of your process in natural language, and let AI develop an automation plan to achieve it.
  • Step 2: Refine the automation plan generated by the LLM and adjust inputs, outputs, and variables as needed. Add reference sources and guidelines in natural language that influence the LLM as it executes the flow.
  • Step 3: Validate the flow by reviewing how the AI flow is achieving the business objective prior to moving the flow into production.
  • Step 4: Review production run history, analytics, and individual flow run details to ensure your process is performing to expectations.

The ability of AI flows to easily incorporate both structured and unstructured data makes it flexible as information resources are updated, and its reasoning abilities make AI flows uniquely beneficial in the building and maintenance of complex process flows to handle conditions, exception management, and process loops.

Automate your desktop with multi-modal AI recording for a “show and tell” user experience

Low-code experiences like drag-and-drop design or keyboard and mouse recording have made desktop automation more approachable and scalable for all. Today, Power Automate is bringing the next wave of AI innovation to robotic process automation (RPA) by giving users the option to train the desktop recorder in a more natural and flexible way, available through the Early Access Program.

Multimodal AI recording for desktop flows uses screen understanding and speech processing to let users teach the desktop recorder how to automate a process. By sharing their screen and describing what they are doing in their own voice, the “show and tell” experience of AI recording is very much like training a new employee. AI uses the inputs from the recording to create a desktop flow in just minutes, and any needed changes to the automation can be made from the Power Automate desktop designer prior to production.

With screen understanding also comes the ability for AI to self-heal when UI elements change. Users are notified when a change is detected and are prompted to approve the adjustment recommended by AI.

Managing automation at scale

Automation center streamlines automation monitoring

Experience comprehensive automation monitoring across Power Automate with in-depth work queue Service Level Agreement (SLA) tracking, as well as advanced troubleshooting features accessible to everyone, from citizen makers to seasoned automation specialists and Center of Excellence (CoE) team members. The automation center delivers targeted recommendations with actionable insights to improve the performance and reliability of your automations.

Use Copilot in Power Automate to ask questions regarding the health of your automations, work queues, and to explain features of Power Automate.

With top-level automation monitoring, users gain an end-to-end view of their automation status.

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The recommendation area provides users with actionable insights and best practice recommendations.  

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The dedicated work queue monitoring area allows users to closely track SLA attainment, average processing time, and work queue throughput.

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With Copilot in Power Automate, natural language is used to query cloud and desktop flow telemetry, work queue throughput, and Power Automate documentation.

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This feature is available in public preview. Learn more about this feature in our documentation.

Troubleshoot cloud flows with Copilot in Power Automate

Identifying the cause of a flow execution error takes time, and sometimes even more effort to resolve. Copilot in Power Automate can now help you identify runtime flow failures and proactively suggests guidance on how to fix it. These recommendations will be supported for a range of error scenarios including common connection action failures, flow design issues, and more.

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This feature is available in public preview. Learn more about this feature in our documentation.

Enhanced experiences for flow authoring and personal productivity

Build and edit cloud flows with a conversation

Conversational cloud flows expand last year’s natural language to flow capabilities, creating a more dynamic, conversational experience that engages users in the ideation process. Start by stating a business scenario, your business role and responsibility, or pain points that you encounter in your work process. Copilot in Power Automate asks probing questions to help you form a clear automation plan, helping you create, refine, edit, and adjust through an ongoing conversation. It also helps you fix errors to get your automation up and running quickly.

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This feature is available in public preview. Learn more about this feature in our documentation.

Build desktop flows with natural language using Copilot in Power Automate

Last year, the ability to use natural language to build flows became available with cloud flows. The same benefits are now also available for desktop flows through our Early Access Program. By using natural language to create desktop flows, you no longer need to be a coding expert to automate your tasks. Simply describe what you want to do in natural language and let AI create a flow for you. This feature is perfect for anyone who wants to streamline their workflows and save time, without the hassle of developing a desktop flow from scratch.

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Personal automation recommendations mined from Microsoft Graph

For users getting started on their automation journey, discovering where to start and understanding the art of the possible for automation is a difficult first step. Personal automation recommendations mined from Microsoft Graph bridges this gap by recommending opportunities for personal process optimization based on their role and activity in Microsoft 365 products including Microsoft Teams and Outlook. By learning from the products they work in everyday, process mining in Power Automate recommends opportunities for optimization refreshing reports, keeping project groups up-to-date or even managing SharePoint folders. When they see a recommendation they like, use Copilot in Power Automate to turn these recommendations into automation quickly and easily.

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This feature is available in public preview.

Get started

Low-code automation and AI accelerate development, make automation accessible to everyone regardless of their skill level, and help businesses tap into new value potential. Developers spend less time building and more time innovating. And, with new automation possibilities powered by generative AI, organizations can empower new use cases and drive better outcomes.

  • Click here to sign up for our Build breakout session, “Revolutionize the way you work with automation and AI,” or view on-demand after the event.
  • Click here to read about all the major announcements on the Power Platform Blog.
  • Get started with Copilot in Power Automate for cloud flows.
  • And click here to learn more about Power Automate.
Revolutionize the way you work with automation and AI (2024)

FAQs

How do automation and AI impact the skills required for future jobs? ›

As AI becomes more ubiquitous, there will be increasing demand for workers with specialized skills and knowledge. By developing expertise in a particular area, you can increase your value to employers and differentiate yourself in the job market.

How does AI help with automation? ›

By harnessing Machine Learning (ML) and natural language processing, AI automation enables systems to adapt and learn from new information, continually improving performance. As a result, businesses can achieve higher productivity, faster response times, and better customer experiences.

How can AI revolutionize the world? ›

Manufacturing: AI-powered robots work with humans to perform different tasks, including but not limited to assembly and stacking. Predictive analysis sensors help you keep equipment running seamlessly. Healthcare: With the integration of AI, doctors can predict diseases quickly and accurately diagnose them.

How could automation or artificial intelligence help you in your job or your personal life? ›

Enhanced Decision-Making: With its ability to analyze vast amounts of data, AI will aid in making more informed decisions, both in professional settings and personal life choices.

How AI is going to influence our life in future? ›

One of the most obvious ways AI is shaping the future is through automation. With the help of machine learning, computers can now perform tasks that were once only possible for humans to complete. This includes tasks such as data entry, customer service, and even driving cars.

What are the positive impacts of AI on employment? ›

AI and machines increase labour productivity by automating routine tasks while expanding employee skills and increasing the value of work. As a result, in a machine-for-machine employment model, low-skilled jobs will disappear, while new and currently unrealized job roles will emerge (Polak 2021).

How will AI change the future of work? ›

By automating routine and mundane tasks, AI can potentially allow workers to focus on the core aspects of their roles that require human insight, creativity, and specialized skills.

What is the main benefit of using AI in automatic tasks? ›

AI can reduce costs by automating repetitive tasks, increasing efficiency, and minimizing errors. This leads to improved productivity and resource allocation, ultimately resulting in cost savings.

How are AI and automation changing the world? ›

AI-powered automation systems can learn from data, adapt to changing circumstances, and make intelligent decisions, enabling organizations to achieve higher levels of efficiency and productivity. One of the industries where AI-powered automation has made significant strides is manufacturing.

What jobs will AI replace? ›

The Most Vulnerable and Impacted Professions

Roles focused on data analysis, bookkeeping, basic financial reporting and repetitive administrative tasks are highly susceptible to automation. Jobs involving rote processes, scheduling and basic customer service are increasingly handled by AI.

How does AI help in everyday life? ›

Prominent examples of AI software used in everyday life include voice assistants, image recognition for face unlock in mobile phones, and ML-based financial fraud detection.

How will AI change my life? ›

Innovation and advancement: AI can enable us to achieve new levels of innovation and advancement in various fields and domains, such as science, art, and sports. AI can help us solve complex and challenging problems, such as climate change, poverty, and pandemics, and create new products, services, and experiences.

What are the positive effects of AI and automation? ›

AI and Automation can greatly increase efficiency and productivity. For example, AI algorithms can analyse data and generate insights much quicker and more accurately than human analysts. Similarly, automated processes can carry out repetitive tasks non-stop, without errors.

How has AI helped in automation? ›

AI automation technologies (AKA intelligent automation) allow organizations to augment their human workers with these IA digital workers to streamline business processes. This helps deal with skills and labor shortages and frees employees from boring, repetitive tasks so they can focus on higher-value strategic work.

How AI is making our lives better? ›

AI tools can assist you in reaching your fitness goals. There are many wearable AI tools like Apple Watches and Fitbits that help track your fitness and overall health. These AI devices are also able to track your sleep and give suggestions through the connected mobile app on how to improve sleep quality.

How will AI affect your job in the future? ›

AI on Future of Work. Research shows that we are still far from AI being on par with human intelligence, and it might theoretically replace human employees. AI can create more employment, not fewer, if there is an investment in all sectors—anywhere that focuses on training and upskilling workers.

How may automation affect jobs in the future? ›

Automation can lead to job displacement, income inequality, and dependency on technology. It's important to understand the impacts of automation on the job market to make informed decisions about education, training, and career paths.

How AI and machine learning will impact the future? ›

One of the most obvious areas is data science, which will develop algorithms, design experiments and analyze data to improve AI systems and develop new applications. It's also expected that the number of jobs in machine-learning engineering, software development and UX (user experience) design will increase.

What do workers think about automation skills and the future of work? ›

In general, workers feel more positive than negative about automation, especially in emerging markets. We find that negative perceptions about automation are prevalent among workers who are older, poorer, more exposed to job volatility, and from countries with higher levels of robot penetration.

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