A deep dive into Microsoft 365 Copilot

A paradigm shift is upon us. With an almost palpable buzz in the air, the tech world is abuzz about a pivotal development in the industry of artificial intelligence (AI). Microsoft has recently unveiled its newest innovation, the Copilot, intended to redefine the way we interact with our digital devices and work tools. It stands shoulder to shoulder with Microsoft’s other AI-powered tools, and it’s a fascinating evolution from the company’s days of “Clippy” – the animated paperclip that populated the Microsoft Word of yesteryears.

Just as the likes of Google are embedding AI into their applications, Microsoft has integrated AI into its ecosystem, from the Bing search engine, Microsoft Edge browser, to Microsoft 365, and Windows 11. To understand Copilot, we must first delve into the world of Microsoft AI and its relationship with OpenAI, and yes, Google’s AI journey as well.

The AI story: Microsoft and Google

Since 2019, Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI, leading to groundbreaking developments like DALL-E 2 and the now popular ChatGPT. ChatGPT, an AI trained on a large language model and multimodal model, is capable of accomplishing feats from writing code and composing essays to suggesting business ideas and even passing the bar exam.

This same technology now powers “the new Bing,” transforming the search engine into a conversational tool.

But Microsoft isn’t alone in its pursuit of AI. Google has also focused heavily on AI technology, as evidenced in its I/O 2023 keynote, emphasizing AI’s potential to change everything. With their combined efforts, AI’s transition from a futuristic concept to a part of our everyday reality is accelerating.

Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot

This is where Microsoft 365 Copilot comes in. By integrating AI into Microsoft 365, this new tool promises to assist users in creating documents, reading and summarising emails, and crafting presentations. It’s a substantial upgrade from the classic Microsoft Office assistant, Clippy, taking us leaps ahead in terms of productivity and user-friendliness. It begs the question, “Is Copilot available in Office 365?” The answer is a resounding yes.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is available across Microsoft’s Office suite, from Microsoft Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint, to Word. Whether you’re dealing with a challenging PivotTable in Excel or an overflowing Outlook inbox, Copilot is designed to offer a helping hand.

Features and integration of Microsoft 365 Copilot

So, what exactly can this super-powered assistant do? Let’s take a closer look at its capabilities in each of the Microsoft365 apps.

Outlook: Copilot summarises long email threads and even assists in crafting responses. It flags essential messages and can provide guidance on tone and phrasing.

Imagine your inbox is overflowing with emails and you’re struggling to manage them. Copilot steps in and uses its AI capabilities to summarise long email threads, making it easy for you to catch up quickly. Additionally, if you’re unsure about how to respond to a complicated email, Copilot can help draft a professional and courteous reply based on the content of the email.

Microsoft Teams: Copilot facilitates efficient interaction with colleagues and planning activities. It aids in setting agendas, organising meeting discussions, and even formulating meeting summaries for absentees.

Let’s say you had a productive team meeting with various discussion points but didn’t have time to note everything down. Copilot can provide a summary of the points discussed, actions agreed upon, and even a list of attendees. Moreover, if you’re planning another meeting, Copilot can assist you in setting the agenda, taking into account the participants and their roles.

Microsoft Word: Copilot assists with drafting documents, rewriting sections, improving your writing’s tone, and summarising text.

Have you ever faced writer’s block while drafting an important document? Copilot can help you break that block by suggesting ways to start, or it can help rephrase a tricky sentence to make it more clear and concise. It can also summarise lengthy documents into a few key points for easier consumption.

PowerPoint: The 365 Copilot can help transform your ideas into deck presentations, complete with added speaker notes.

If you’re working on a presentation, but you’re unsure about how to structure it, Copilot can help. It can suggest the best way to organise your ideas into slides and even add speaker notes based on your content to help you during the presentation.

The feature set of Microsoft 365 Copilot is designed to maximise productivity and simplify your work processes. But how does this translate into practicality?

One notable demonstration of Copilot’s capabilities involves using it in Excel. It can analyse data, detect trends, create new sheets and graphs, and even explain its findings. For the everyday user, this tool could save substantial time and facilitate a more profound understanding of complex data.

Adding Copilot to Office 365

As for how to add Copilot to Office 365, it is integrated into Microsoft 365 by default, which means you do not need to manually add it. Copilot is built into the ecosystem of the Microsoft 365 suite and is ready to assist you right out of the box.

Is Microsoft Copilot free?

When it comes to the cost, Microsoft Copilot comes as part of the Microsoft 365 subscription. While the standalone software isn’t free, it’s an integrated feature of the Microsoft 365 suite, which means it doesn’t add any extra cost to your existing subscription.

Bing AI in Microsoft Edge

Beyond Microsoft 365, Microsoft has taken steps to integrate AI into its Edge browser through Bing AI. In March 2023, Microsoft launched the AI-powered Bing search in Microsoft Edge, a feature known as Edge Copilot, Bing chat, or Discover. This tool enables users to get answers directly from their browser, underpinned by the robust technology of Bing AI.

Microsoft Edge’s Copilot feature can summarise web content, search the web for answers, and even create content. Despite its prowess, Microsoft concedes that Bing AI isn’t perfect, sometimes misrepresenting information and requiring users to exercise judgment in interpreting responses.

ChatGPT versus Copilot

A valid comparison can be drawn between Microsoft 365 Copilot and ChatGPT. The latter is an AI chat tool capable of having human-like conversations, answering questions, suggesting ideas, and assisting with various tasks. The integration of such capabilities in Microsoft’s offerings marks a shift in how AI is embedded into our everyday digital tools.

While both Copilot and ChatGPT exhibit impressive capabilities, they serve different functions. ChatGPT is a broader AI application, while Copilot is designed specifically to enhance productivity within Microsoft’s software ecosystem.

Looking ahead: Windows and Copilot

Windows Copilot, introduced at Microsoft’s Build event in May 2023, takes this a step further. Built directly into Windows 11, you can open a chat window right from the desktop to seek Copilot’s assistance.

It can control system settings, manage documents, and even open and control applications. Imagine an AI copilot setting your system to dark mode, snapping windows into place, and summarising a business plan document all at your command.

Imagine you’re working on multiple windows and want to organise them quickly, Copilot can do that for you. You can ask it to set your windows into a split-screen mode, or if you’re working late and want to switch to dark mode but don’t want to dig through settings, you can just ask Copilot to do it.

AI is changing the landscape of technology, and Microsoft’s Copilot is a shining example of this shift. Be it in Bing, Edge, Office 365, or Windows 11, Microsoft is ensuring that AI becomes a trusted companion in our digital journey. The AI revolution is here, and we are all active participants in this fascinating unfolding story.