Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Clash Over AI Agents

Kevin Scott, Microsoft's chief technology officer, reportedly wants product managers to be "domain experts" on AI agents. Scott stated on the Twenty Minute VC podcast that product managers are critical in creating "feedback loops" to improve AI agents, according to reports. This statement contradicts ChatGPT maker OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's recent prediction that AI agents could enter the workforce this year.

AI agents are intended to be digital coworkers or assistants for human workers in a variety of fields, including healthcare, supply chain management, cybersecurity, and customer support. Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, stated in January that "the age of agentic AI is here". Huang previously claimed in 2024 that Nvidia's staff could work with 100 million agents.

Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott: AI agents lack a fundamental

While discussing AI agents on the podcast, Scott mentioned that they currently lack something fundamental: memory.

"They are conspicuously missing memory, which makes them awfully transactional," Scott pointed out.

He also mentioned that even agents with memory have a very limited version of it. Scott stated that he hopes AI agents will eventually remember user interactions over time, allowing them to "conform" more to user preferences.

This type of memory would provide agents with "abstraction and compositionality," making them appear less like chatbots and more like intelligent digital coworkers, he explained.

Ultimately, the goal is for AI agents to handle increasingly complex tasks—just like a real colleague, he added.

Product managers are frequently dubbed the "mini-CEOs" of the products they oversee. They act as a liaison between engineers, sales teams, customer service, and other departments to ensure that products meet user expectations.

However, opinions on the role have become increasingly divisive, with some technologists claiming that product managers add little value.

According to ZipRecruiter data, product managers in the United States earn an average of $160,000, compared to $147,000 for software engineers and $87,000 for tech marketing specialists.

The report also stated that Microsoft intends to increase the ratio of engineers to product or program managers, while Airbnb and Snap are rethinking the role of product managers.