What is Microsoft Copilot?

By | | Outsourced IT Support

Microsoft Copilot is an innovative AI assistant that enhances productivity across various Microsoft platforms, including Windows and Microsoft 365.

Introduced in 2023, it is designed to improve user interaction with technology. Here is everything you need to know about this generative AI tool, including the answer to the question: “What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?”.

What is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is a state-of-the-art AI assistant developed by Microsoft. Designed to facilitate task management and enhance workplace productivity, it uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to understand and generate human-like responses.

How does Microsoft Copilot work?
Microsoft Copilot works with a chat interface, inviting you to input prompts or questions. For example, you might prompt it to provide a list of the best financial AI tools.

Copilot processes your input using LLMs and generates responses or suggestions. You can continue with further prompts or follow-up questions to refine the output, clarify certain points, or ask for more information.

Copilot features like Copilot Voice (which lets you converse using verbal commands) and Think Deeper (which allows for more complex questions) make interaction even easier.

What Does Copilot Do?
Microsoft Copilot assists with numerous tasks and functions. Consider the following common examples:

  • Answering questions: Copilot presents accurate answers to queries on essentially any topic. It can provide simple facts like “What team has won the Premiership the most times?” or harder explanations like “Explain genome splicing.”
  • Creative projects: It can help brainstorm ideas, write brand stories, and suggest catchy slogans.
  • Creating images: Copilot Designer is a tool for visual projects, producing an array of quality images based on simple user prompts (Designer was formerly Bing Image Creator).
  • Product comparisons: Copilot can compare different products (e.g. mobile phones) and present the information clearly and concisely to help you make an informed choice.
  • Research assistance: It is a highly effective research tool that can provide detailed information on a topic and cite relevant sources.
  • Summarising information: It saves you time and effort by creating easily digestible summaries of lengthy articles, reports, news, and more.
  • Generating content: Copilot can assist in crafting various content, including:
    • Business proposals
    • Emails
    • Marketing copy
    • Social media posts
    • Creative ideas
    • A story, poem, or film dialogue
    • Computer code

How To Get Microsoft Copilot
Getting started on Copilot depends on which version you choose to use. There are three versions, each suitable for individuals, professionals, and businesses.

Microsoft Copilot (free version)
“Is Microsoft Copilot free?” is a question we are asked regularly. The good news is there is a free version of this AI assistant (essentially the former Bing Chat and Windows Copilot).

You can access Copilot for free on the web, Windows, mobile apps and as a sidebar in Microsoft’s Edge browser. It is also possible to access Copilot in the Chrome browser by installing the Copilot extension.

This tool enhances efficiency by providing assistance with research, summaries, writing, image generation, queries, and other functions.

However, it is fairly basic compared to the paid models. Specifically, it lacks advanced features and the latest leading-edge AI.

Additionally, the free tool does not integrate with Microsoft applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You also enjoy less functionality. For example, you only get 15 image boosts per day vs 100 on Copilot Pro.

Microsoft Copilot Pro
In January 2024, Microsoft announced the release of Copilot Pro. This is a premium version for individual users that provides priority access to current artificial intelligence models. It also includes advanced writing assistance and integration with select Microsoft applications.

Copilot Pro is available on a monthly subscription plan, and the advantages of it include:

  • Priority access to GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo at peak times.
  • Integration of Copilot with the web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
  • A Copilot app that serves as a hub for more general inquiries outside of your specific files or productivity apps.
  • Copilot GPT builder lets you create customer solutions for a specific problem.
  • Copilot Pro provides personalised and contextually relevant responses. It uses Microsoft Graph to process user information and activities. This allows it to function as an assistant with access to meeting, chat, email, and file data. For example, within Word, it can provide content assistance for draft creation, rewriting, and editing.

How much does Microsoft Copilot Pro cost?

Microsoft Copilot Pro currently costs £19.00 per user monthly. There is a 30-day free trial.

Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot is the top-tier plan specifically designed for enterprise organisations.

Copilot for Microsoft 365 delivers more functionality than Pro, including:

  • Integration with more Microsoft 365 applications.
  • Advanced assistance to enhance collaborations in apps like Microsoft Loop, Whiteboard and Microsoft Teams.
  • The ability to automate repetitive tasks and streamline business processes using Microsoft Copilot Studio.

Access to Microsoft 365 Copilot requires a Microsoft 365 subscription. Additionally, within Microsoft 365 applications, the Copilot icon is readily accessible to provide task-related assistance.

How much does Microsoft 365 Copilot cost?

Microsoft 365 Copilot currently costs £23.10 per user monthly. There is a 30-day free trial.

How To Use Microsoft Copilot
Here are popular examples of how Microsoft Copilot is used by professionals and businesses.

  • In Microsoft Word
    As an example of how to use Copilot in Word, you can ask it to write a status report on your current project. It will combine LLMs and your relevant chats, files, and project information to produce a contextually relevant report.
  • Data management in Microsoft Excel
    In Excel, Copilot helps generate formulas, analyse and summarise data, and add helpful visuals to spreadsheets.
  • Email management in Outlook
    Microsoft Copilot in Outlook can summarise lengthy email threads and generate draft responses based on message history. It also provides coaching tips to improve message tone, sentiment, and clarity.
  • Meeting summaries in Teams
    After Team meetings, Copilot will conveniently capture the discussion and chart the next steps. The tool can automatically generate summaries, key points, and action lists from all Teams meetings.
  • Enhancing collaboration in Loop
    Loop is a collaborative workspace that allows teams to co-create and stay in sync with shared dynamic content. Copilot can suggest content and then edit for improvement and clarity in real-time with your colleagues.
  • Inspiring presentations in PowerPoint
    Copilot in PowerPoint facilitates the development of presentations, including speaker notes and citations.
  • Task automation with Agents
    Copilot enables the development of agents (within Copilot Studio) to automate tasks and business processes, such as generating help desk tickets or facilitating employee onboarding.

Is Microsoft Copilot Worth It?
Microsoft 365 Copilot represents a substantial financial investment. However, its range of AI-powered tools across various applications (as opposed to a niche solution) significantly enhances its value.

Determining Copilot’s value to your organisation will depend on its ROI, which will be in the form of increased productivity, enhanced collaboration, and streamlined workflows. This will be different for every business.

According to Microsoft, businesses using Copilot over 3 years can expect an ROI on the product of 132% to 353%.

FAQs
Is Microsoft Copilot secure?
Copilot is a secure technology that benefits from robust Microsoft security. Copilot ensures that your information remains within your control and is never used to train models without your permission. In organisations, permission levels ensure that sensitive data is not leaked between users and groups.

Does Microsoft Copilot use ChatGPT?
Microsoft Copilot uses technology from OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. Microsoft Corporation has partnered with OpenAI, which has given the former access to the latter’s large language models. Although Copilot uses these LLMs (including those from the GPT-4 family, which underpin ChatGPT), it is not a direct copy of ChatGPT.

What is GitHub Copilot?
Developed by GitHub and OpenAI, GitHub Copilot is an artificial intelligence tool that provides code completion suggestions. It assists users in writing code more efficiently and with reduced errors.

What is Microsoft Copilot Labs?
Copilot Labs is an experimental feature within Microsoft 365 Copilot that lets you explore new AI-powered capabilities, customise prompts, and learn how to use Copilot more effectively.

Summary and Next Steps
Microsoft Copilot is a tool that streamlines daily tasks and boosts productivity. In particular, it is increasingly becoming an invaluable resource for businesses and professionals.

Backed by the world’s leading tech corporation, Microsoft Copilot aims to make professional lives easier and more efficient.

Syntax Integration is a leading Microsoft Solutions Partner based in central London. Contact us for advice about maximising your company’s Copilot ROI.