Microsoft is retiring its artificial intelligence (AI) agent builder tool GPT Builder along with support for Copilot GPTs. The tech giant announced that the feature will be removed from the Copilot Pro subscription bundle between July 10 and July 14. After its removal, subscribers will also lose access to the GPTs they have created. The company has not shared any reasons behind rolling back the feature. Notably, GPT Builders was introduced just three months ago, when Microsoft launched the Copilot Pro subscription in global markets.
Microsoft to Retire GPT Builder in Copilot Pro
In a support document, Microsoft has now confirmed that the feature will be removed. It said, “Microsoft will remove the ability to create GPTs starting July 10, 2024, and then remove all GPTs (created by Microsoft and by customers) along with their associated GPT data also starting July 10, 2024, through July 14, 2024.”
GPT Builder was introduced as a tool that would allow Copilot Pro subscribers to create mini chatbots for specific purposes. These GPTs, also known as AI agents, can be created with specific instructions and knowledge bases.
Due to their small size, they adhere to the guidelines efficiently. For instance, one can create a Copilot GPT to analyse research papers and find any inconsistencies in them. At the time of launch, Microsoft said these GPTs could also be used to save time by reusing a set of AI prompts.
Microsoft to Focus on Core Copilot Functionality
While the company did not specify any reason to discontinue the feature, it highlighted that it is evaluating its strategy for Copilot extensibility, and for the time being, will be prioritising the core product experiences for Copilot. Interestingly, GPTs will still be offered to Microsoft’s commercial and enterprise clients and are only being retired for the consumer-focused AI platform.
Microsoft has also asked users to save the instructions for any Copilot GPTs created before July 10, as GPTs and the data will not be accessible after that. To see the instructions, users can open the GPT in edit mode and go to the Configure tab. The company said it will delete any subscriber data that was collected by Copilot GPT from its servers.
In India, the company’s Copilot Pro subscription is priced at Rs. 2,000 per month. Microsoft has also shared details in case users want to cancel their subscription.
