What are Microsoft Copilots?
In case you weren’t with us last week, let’s have a quick refresher on Copilots. Generally speaking, Microsoft’s Copilots represent the tech company’s array of artificial intelligence (AI) companions. These Copilots embrace various AI-driven tools designed to accomplish diverse tasks across different domains. Specifically, the term “Microsoft Copilot” originated from what was formerly known as Bing Chat—an AI chatbot adept at assisting with tasks like coding, writing, image generation, and answering general inquiries. Microsoft’s Copilots extend across the company’s suite of applications and services, including Microsoft 365. These Copilots are engineered to offer AI support throughout numerous facets of workflow within Microsoft’s applications, facilitating seamless integration and enhanced productivity. Copilots have come a long way since the release of GitHub Copilot in 2021. We’ll now look at all these Copilots that Microsoft has on offer:
- Copilot in Windows
- Copilot for Microsoft 365
- Microsoft Security Copilot
- Copilot for Service and Copilot for Sales
- Microsoft 365 Chat
- Copilot for Mobile
What is Copilot in Windows?
Copilot in Windows serves as an AI assistant embedded within the Windows operating system, assisting with many tasks ranging from configuring PC settings to offering generative support. For instance, Copilot in Windows can adjust your computer’s display to a dark mode, arrange open windows for better organization, assist in drafting essays, aid in online shopping, and fulfil various other requests through intuitive conversational prompts. When asked about some of the things it can do, the generative AI responded with this:
“As an AI language model, I can assist you with a variety of tasks and generate content in different domains. Here are some of the things I can do:”
- Answer Questions
- Creative Writing
- Language Translation
- Maths and Calculations
- Recommendations
- Summarise Content
- Generate Lyrics or Song Parodies
- Coding Assistance
- Trivia and Fun Facts
- Imaginary Scenarios
Copilot in Windows is very similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Launched in September 2023, it’s free to use.
What is Copilot for Microsoft 365?
First on the market in November last year, Copilot for Microsoft 365 gives us the hopefully seamless incorporation of the Copilot AI assistant into Microsoft’s suite of productivity software, which encompasses Teams, Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint. Through Copilot for Microsoft 365, these applications are enhanced with AI capabilities to streamline workflows. For instance, within Word, Copilot can assist in generating text and tables, while in Outlook, it can aid in summarizing and drafting emails. Furthermore, in Excel, Copilot can generate Python visualizations, among other tasks, contributing to a more efficient and productive user experience across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. At the moment, Copilot for Microsoft 365 comes in at £19 per user per month. Luckily, Microsoft has removed the 300-seat minimum, so it has become somewhat more affordable, especially for SMEs.
What is Microsoft Security Copilot?
Microsoft’s Security Copilot merges artificial intelligence with cybersecurity protocols to offer users heightened protection against a spectrum of attacks. This advanced system brings forth several advantages, including the analysis of vast datasets to identify patterns indicative of illicit activities, thus bolstering the detection of cyberattacks. Moreover, it enhances response capabilities by automating reactions in real-time, thereby augmenting both the speed and precision of defensive measures.
What is Microsoft Copilot for Service and Copilot for Sales?
During Microsoft Ignite, the company introduced additions to its Copilot lineup, notably Copilot for Service and Copilot for Sales. These additions target the optimization of enterprise operations through AI-driven solutions. Copilot for Service is tailored to enhance business interactions by integrating with customer relationship management (CRM) applications. Microsoft states that this integration enables enterprises to access AI-guided answers and resources tailored to each customer, thereby enhancing customer service. On the other hand, Copilot for Sales builds upon its predecessor, Sales Copilot, aiming to serve as a trusted companion for sales professionals. Microsoft says Copilot for Sales will
“Increase productivity and personalize every customer interaction so they can close more deals.”
What is Microsoft 365 Chat?
Microsoft 365 Chat is an integral component of the Microsoft 365 Copilot suite. Operating as a chat interface, it seamlessly accesses data from various Microsoft work applications to provide assistance and answer inquiries. For instance, users can command Microsoft 365 Chat to “summarize unread messages,” prompting it to scour all 365 applications and deliver a succinct overview of missed content. Moreover, Microsoft 365 Chat excels at keeping users informed about meetings, retrieving documents, and providing answers based on the content stored within documents, meetings, chats, and other sources. Its comprehensive functionality enhances productivity and facilitates seamless navigation across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
What is Copilot for Mobile?
Over Christmas, Microsoft introduced its Copilot app on Android, iOS, and iPadOS platforms, offering users access to Copilot, previously known as Bing Chat. Operating in a manner akin to ChatGPT, the app provides an AI-powered chatbot experience, similar to other AI chatbots. Users can input questions or prompts and receive responses generated by AI. The AI assistant within the Copilot app facilitates various tasks such as drafting emails, composing stories or scripts, summarizing complex texts, creating personalized travel itineraries, and updating job resumes. Additionally, the app features an Image Creator function powered by DALL·E 3. This tool enables users to explore different styles and ideas, curate content for social media, develop brand motifs and logo designs, create custom backgrounds, build portfolios, and visualize film and video storyboards, among other capabilities. According to the app description:
“By combining the power of GPT-4 with the imaginative capabilities of DALL·E 3, Copilot not only enhances your design workflow but can also bring your creativity to inspiring new heights.”
Since its launch, Copilot has been downloaded more than 1.5 million times worldwide across both Android and iOS. The app has a 4.6 rating on Google Play and the good news is that it’s free.
What is Google’s version of Microsoft Copilot?
Google unveiled its counterpart to Microsoft Copilot, aka Duet AI, during the Google I/O event in May last year. Duet AI serves as an assistant that is integrated across Google Workspace, spanning applications like Google Docs, Slides, Meet, Gmail, Chat, and others. In August, Duet AI within Google Workspace became widely accessible for enterprises. Users keen to explore its capabilities can still request a trial by completing this online form. This form collects information such as the number of employees within the interested user’s organisation, their status as a Google Workspace customer, and contact details.
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“SMEs can benefit tremendously from AI automation, but the technology does come with inherent threats.”
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