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

[wordshaper@weatherishappening.network]

@cwebber if Microsoft is going to charge license fees for agents using their software I can only assume that Oracle sales reps are busy inventing a whole new branch of mathematics to calculate their AI licensing fees.

[brokar@mastodon.social]

@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.

[aud@fire.asta.lgbt]

@cwebber@social.coop ho ho, where'd I put that "they're just waiting for you to start relying on them and they'll raise the price" post... oh, I wrote that multiple times? and so did others? hmmm, strange...

[edelruth@mastodon.online]

@cwebber

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.

[crowbriarhexe@tech.lgbt]

@alice @cwebber hey, it’s “per-seat” licensing, not “occupied seat” ‍️

[alice@mk.nyaa.place]

@crowbriarhexe@tech.lgbt @cwebber@social.coop i propose that we require buying a chair for every slop agent

[traecer@techhub.social]

@cwebber the grift begins anew!

[lispi314@udongein.xyz]

@cwebber What an absurd situation.

[aud@fire.asta.lgbt]

@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

[deutrino@mstdn.io]

@cwebber so fucking glad I ejected from that entire poisoned ecosystem *checks watch* 18 years ago now

[ramin_hal9001@fe.disroot.org]

@alice
Are you a chair manufacturer?
I'll lobby congress on your behalf to pass law requiring every AI agent have their own physical chair... for a fee equal to 1 percent of your eminent billion dollar goverment contract.


@crowbriarhexe @cwebber

[ag7gm@mastodon.radio]

@cwebber That's hilarious. Who's going to *make them* purchase instead of pirate it? The folks that taught them to not lie, er, I mean hallucinate?

Yeah. Give your head a shake.

[ramin_hal9001@fe.disroot.org]

> 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

[landelare@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@cwebber I, for one, am determined to make sure that all 0 of my AI agents are properly licensed.

[zvavybir@social.zvavybir.eu]

@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)).

[thankfulmachine@oldbytes.space]

@cwebber This is some of the funniest news I’ve read in a long time. You’ve made my day

[mikefordays@mstdn.io]

@cwebber
Uh, can we just get api access?

[diametraldaneben@ieji.de]

@cwebber hahahahaah! xD

[edelruth@mastodon.online]

@zvavybir @cwebber

Thanks for that. Interesting times, eh?

[zvavybir@social.zvavybir.eu]

@Edelruth Yeah…