Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
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@cwebber Haha yeah, or steal or pirate the software like any other AI steals and pirates content from the internet.
AI really makes them come up with the weirdest ideas ...
Anyone thought that in order to purchase a license one must have funds to do so. Would you provide your account or credit card data to an AI?
Didn't think so.> AI really makes them come up with the weirdest ideas
@Brokar to me, these weird ideas they come up with is evidence that they don't have a plan or a business model to earn profits (apart from selling AI to fascist dictatorships for mass surveillance) and are desperate to recoup the losses in their investments, and prevent the bubble from bursting.
@cwebber -
Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber I, for one, am determined to make sure that all 0 of my AI agents are properly licensed.
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Okay. Non-tech person here. I had thought AI agents were a piece of software. So, that's wrong, these are humans?
If this tiny query needs a book series to explain it, just refer me to wiki.
@Edelruth @cwebber No, you were correct, that's exactly the funny thing. Bosses were sold the idea that they could save costs by replacing employees with software (that is what caused the whole AI hype) and now they soon will still have to pay license fees for the software that their AI agents use (and of course the AI agent providers will soon(-ish) raise the price for their AIs too such that the AIs aren't all that much cheaper than humans (after all, squeezing as much money out of your customers is what capitalism is all about)).
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Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber This is some of the funniest news I’ve read in a long time. You’ve made my day
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Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber
Uh, can we just get api access? -
@Edelruth @cwebber No, you were correct, that's exactly the funny thing. Bosses were sold the idea that they could save costs by replacing employees with software (that is what caused the whole AI hype) and now they soon will still have to pay license fees for the software that their AI agents use (and of course the AI agent providers will soon(-ish) raise the price for their AIs too such that the AIs aren't all that much cheaper than humans (after all, squeezing as much money out of your customers is what capitalism is all about)).
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@Edelruth Yeah…
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@cwebber@social.coop it's kind of wild that all these people who consider themselves absolutely brilliant at business, numbers, software, etc, absolutely fail to understand that when "the first taste is free" you probably don't want to invest heavily into what they're selling
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Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber Yeah okay, but if my agents have agents, will they need a license too?
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@cwebber So chatbots are employees, but gig workers are not, is what the industry is aiming towards?
@miss_rodent @cwebber anythibg to maximize #profits and reduce #accountability…
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Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber
Microsoft Copilot 365 for Copilot 365 Group License -
Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber Until the agents decide to write their own clones of the software or discover open source alternatives.
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Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber the fucking audacity
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Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber When your software needs a software license! It's cool because your employer can cut you out of the loop and just keep paying for a license that the software that replaced you can use.
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Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber
Microslop: We think you will love our AI agent
Corp: No, we don't find it useful
MS: We will force it on you and raise our prices
Corp: OK, I guess we will fire employees now
MS: But wait, that will reduce our revenue
Corp: And save us money
MS: No, you will need to pay for the software used by the AI software we are forcing you to pay for
Corp: We'll see about that
#Microslop #AI #Extortion -
Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber only if AI agents can also join a union
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@cwebber the fucking audacity
@blogdiva @cwebber No, it's not audacious, or at least not even slightly new.
Back in the day of Microsoft SQL Server 7 (before the web was a proper thing) Microsoft had not understood that there was nothing under the terms of the license preventing the purchase of a limited SQL connection license, putting it on a server, and then multiplexing those connections to a web server.
They subsequently edited the license for all new copies, (illegally) tried to retrospectively change the license for existing licences despite the fact it contradicted the previously issued hard copy, and boy by the time SQL Server 2000 arrived were they very clear that web servers needed a specific type of license.
If 'AI', or anything similar to the multiplexing described above potentially affects a revenue stream, they will modify license schemes to retain revenue.
There is no such thing as a free lunch when you don't control part of the solution stack.
You want audacious? Try Oracle or VMWare instead.
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Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
@cwebber It’s just like how you can get infinite electricity by plugging a surge protector into itself, but for money
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Microsoft exec suggests AI agents will need to buy software licenses, just like employees https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-executive-suggests-ai-agents-buy-software-licenses-seats-2026-4
*deep breath in*
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA of fucking course lmao
Sweet Mary mother of Jesus... These fucking people really are fucking _insane_...
The pile of code that's not an entity which requires a fee/license to use will require software, which is a pile of code and not an entity, that also has fees/licenses which runs on servers/infrastructure, which is not an entity, that also requires fees/licenses/rents.
I have a neat idea.
It's time to John Galt these motherfuckers. _We_ leave. We go have lives of peace and community.
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@blogdiva @cwebber No, it's not audacious, or at least not even slightly new.
Back in the day of Microsoft SQL Server 7 (before the web was a proper thing) Microsoft had not understood that there was nothing under the terms of the license preventing the purchase of a limited SQL connection license, putting it on a server, and then multiplexing those connections to a web server.
They subsequently edited the license for all new copies, (illegally) tried to retrospectively change the license for existing licences despite the fact it contradicted the previously issued hard copy, and boy by the time SQL Server 2000 arrived were they very clear that web servers needed a specific type of license.
If 'AI', or anything similar to the multiplexing described above potentially affects a revenue stream, they will modify license schemes to retain revenue.
There is no such thing as a free lunch when you don't control part of the solution stack.
You want audacious? Try Oracle or VMWare instead.
@blogdiva @cwebber Other recent example include a fight between licenses and CPU architecture. A database server (cough Oracle) is ridiculously expensive once things go beyond two CPU sockets? Well, IBM would sell you a special two socket incredibly multi core CPU system for a wincingly high but not quite as high price as licensing four SQL cores.
Of course, that only works for one release, the licensing catches up, and cores per socket become limited etc etc.
