Microsoft is to charge $30 a month for generative artificial intelligence features in its widely used productivity software, slapping a bigger premium than expected on a technology that many in the industry hope will bring a powerful boost to revenues.
For customers who sign up, the new features are set to add a hefty 53-83 per cent increase to the average monthly cost of business-grade versions of the Microsoft 365 service, a suite of software formerly known as Office 365 that is used by hundreds of millions of workers.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft chief executive, defended the pricing decision as part of a generational shift in technology that would bring a new dimension to one of the software company’s core products.