Microsoft 's chief technology officer, Kevin Scott , reportedly wants product managers to be “domain experts” in AI agents. During a Twenty Minute VC podcast, Scott said that product managers are crucial in setting up "feedback loops" to improve AI agents, Business Insider reported. This statement contradicts ChatGPT maker OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman’s prediction, who recently claimed that AI agents could enter the workforce by this year.
AI agents are designed to be digital coworkers or assistants to human workers in fields ranging from healthcare and supply chain management to cybersecurity and customer service. In January, Nvidia CEO , Jensen Huang, also said that "the age of agentic AI is here". Earlier, in 2024, Huang claimed that Nvidia's staff can work with 100 million agents.
Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott: AI agents lack something fundamental
While discussing AI agents on the podcast, Scott noted that currently they are missing something fundamental — memory.
“They are conspicuously missing memory, which makes them awfully transactional,” Scott said.
He also noted that even the agents that have memory only have a very limited version of it. Scott mentioned that he hopes AI agents will eventually recall user interactions over time, enabling them to "conform" more to users' preferences.
This type of memory would update agents with "abstraction and compositionality," making them seem less like mere chatbots and more like intelligent digital coworkers, he explained.
Ultimately, the aim is for AI agents to tackle increasingly complex tasks—just as a real colleague would, he added.
Product managers are often dubbed “mini-CEOs” of the products they manage. They serve as a bridge connecting engineers, sales teams, customer service, and other departments to ensure that products meet user needs.
However, opinions about the role have grown increasingly divisive, as some techies argue that product managers add little value.
As per ZipRecruiter data, in the US, product managers earn roughly $160,000 on average, compared to around $147,000 for software engineers and about $87,000 for tech marketing specialists.
The report also noted that Microsoft is aiming to boost the ratio of engineers relative to product or program managers, while companies like Airbnb and Snap are re-examining the role of product managers.
AI agents are designed to be digital coworkers or assistants to human workers in fields ranging from healthcare and supply chain management to cybersecurity and customer service. In January, Nvidia CEO , Jensen Huang, also said that "the age of agentic AI is here". Earlier, in 2024, Huang claimed that Nvidia's staff can work with 100 million agents.
Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott: AI agents lack something fundamental
While discussing AI agents on the podcast, Scott noted that currently they are missing something fundamental — memory.
“They are conspicuously missing memory, which makes them awfully transactional,” Scott said.
He also noted that even the agents that have memory only have a very limited version of it. Scott mentioned that he hopes AI agents will eventually recall user interactions over time, enabling them to "conform" more to users' preferences.
This type of memory would update agents with "abstraction and compositionality," making them seem less like mere chatbots and more like intelligent digital coworkers, he explained.
Ultimately, the aim is for AI agents to tackle increasingly complex tasks—just as a real colleague would, he added.
Product managers are often dubbed “mini-CEOs” of the products they manage. They serve as a bridge connecting engineers, sales teams, customer service, and other departments to ensure that products meet user needs.
However, opinions about the role have grown increasingly divisive, as some techies argue that product managers add little value.
As per ZipRecruiter data, in the US, product managers earn roughly $160,000 on average, compared to around $147,000 for software engineers and about $87,000 for tech marketing specialists.
The report also noted that Microsoft is aiming to boost the ratio of engineers relative to product or program managers, while companies like Airbnb and Snap are re-examining the role of product managers.
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