Getting Started with AI Agents, Making Makers, and Managing Risk

Copilot case studies highlight the transformative potential of generative and agentic AI in business. Yet, many leaders still wonder: “How can we leverage Copilot to address the specific challenges facing our organization?”

While Microsoft 365 Copilot has countless use cases across daily workflows, every organization has its own mix of systems, processes, and data sources. AI isn’t meant to be a one-size-fits-all tool.

That’s where agents come in.

AI agents bridge the gap between increasing personal productivity and transforming how your business operates. Agents enable organizations to extend Copilot’s capabilities to fit their unique business needs and systems.

Getting Started with Agentic AI: Copilot Studio vs. Agent Builder

Have a clear business use case in mind to get started with agents:

• What process slows your team down?
• Which tasks are time-consuming and tedious?
• Where do repetitive questions eat up valuable time?

Depending on the complexity of the task or workflow, there are a couple of options for building an agent.

Microsoft 365 Copilot Agent Builder

Microsoft 365 Copilot Agent Builder is your entry point for creating simple, task-specific agents. It’s accessible within Microsoft Teams, uses natural language to build agents, and enables business users to automate routine work without writing code.

Copilot Studio

Copilot Studio is where you build more complex agents and scale agentic AI. It provides advanced tools for developing, customizing, and deploying agents that can orchestrate entire business processes, integrate with multiple systems, connect to external systems, and deliver enterprise-grade solutions.

Now, this is an extremely high-level overview. That said, consider launching an agentic AI pilot to explore your options in more detail and prove the value of agents in your organization.

2 Types of AI Agents

Not all agents are created equal. Microsoft’s extensibility model offers two main types:

Declarative Agents

Declarative agents are built using a low-code, configuration-first approach. Think of them as digital assistants that handle routine, well-defined tasks without requiring heavy coding. They’re most useful for scenarios like:

1. Answering common HR or IT questions (e.g., “What’s our PTO policy?”)
2. Guiding employees through submitting travel or expense requests
3. Providing quick access to company policies or resources

These agents are simple to develop, fast to deploy, and easy to update, making them ideal for organizations looking for quick wins and measurable impact without a long development cycle.

Custom Engine Agents

Custom engine agents further extend Microsoft 365 Copilot, enabling organizations to build highly custom agents that integrate with existing toolsets for end-to-end orchestration.

Custom engine agents are built in Copilot Studio and can:

1. Orchestrate multi-step business processes
2. Integrate with external systems and data sources
3. Use flexible AI models to fit your preference and use case(s)

If you need an agent to do more than answer questions or guide users, custom engine agents unlock that potential.

The Benefits of Democratizing AI (AKA Making Makers)

Empower more people across your organization to build and deploy agents, not just IT. Democratizing AI (or “making makers” in Microsoft’s terminology) unlocks innovation, accelerates adoption, and helps teams solve their own challenges with low-code tools.

1. Faster Problem-solving: Frontline teams can automate their own workflows and FAQs.
2. Greater Agility: Business units respond to change without waiting for IT backlogs.
3. Increased AI Adoption: Employees feel ownership over digital transformation, driving adoption and ROI.

But with this kind of accessibility, strong governance is critical. Organizations must establish clear guardrails, provide training, and regularly review agent activity to ensure security and compliance.

AI Governance: Building the Foundation for Success

Governance is the backbone of every successful AI initiative. Small oversights can quickly become enterprise-wide risks if Copilot or other agents surface sensitive information.

Copilot is secure by design, but it’s only as safe as the data and governance practices behind it.

Before deploying agents, leaders must ensure:

1. Data is classified and protected: Use Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels and the Copilot Control System to govern what agents can access.
2. Permissions are clear and enforced: Copilot inherits user permissions, so broken inheritance or “everyone except external users” groups can expose sensitive data.
3. Lifecycle management is in place: Regularly purge redundant, outdated, or trivial data to reduce risk and improve Copilot’s accuracy.
4. Security controls are active: DLP, watermarking, and encryption should be enforced, with ongoing monitoring for risky sharing or AI activity.

A trusted Microsoft Solutions Partner like C5 Insight that specializes in Copilot helps organizations proactively identify risks, close gaps, and implement best practices for agentic AI and Copilot governance before an org-wide rollout.

Download our 25-Question Copilot Data Security Checklist to assess how ready your digital workplace is for Copilot and agents.

Rethink How Work Gets Done with Microsoft Agentic AI Solutions

Agents are more than a productivity booster; they’re a catalyst for business transformation.

The real value of agents is in how you align their capabilities with your business strategy, your people, and your processes. That’s where the right approach (and the right AI partner) makes all the difference.

Unlike traditional automation, agents give organizations the flexibility to rethink how work gets done, streamline complex processes, and free up teams to focus on strategic, high-impact initiatives. By building a human-agent workforce, leaders can expand workforce capacity, drive innovation, and position their organization for long-term success.

Ready to compete in the era of AI? Partner with C5 Insight to begin, accelerate, and scale your AI transformation today.