Why Is Microsoft Copilot, the New “AI for Work?”

AI is slowly becoming an integral part of our lives as the days pass. Whether for images (Lensa AI) or text (ChatGPT), it is slowly integrated into all aspects of our schedules, at work and home. From smart homes and Alexa to installing AI applications that increase productivity, the sky is the limit for these applications.

According to Statista, the global AI market is now valued at 142.3 billion US dollars and continues growing because of its high investment rate. Much of this investment comes from American companies. Hence, it is unsurprising to see many big companies releasing AI offerings that will become the top choice of businesses in the next few years. We have seen many of these business technology offerings, and Microsoft’s Copilot is the latest release that tops this list.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is an all-new addition to the Microsoft 365 suite. In this article, we’ll review what it is and how it’s going to impact your work in Excel, Word, Outlook, and more.

What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Tech giant Microsoft announced this new AI feature recently. This tool will assist M365 users with all apps such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, and Teams. Microsoft 365 CVP Jared Spataro pointed out that Copilot would soon be added to all aspects of Microsoft 365.

Microsoft launched AI as a client initiative, releasing the Bing chatbot in the first week of February 2023. The chatbot did not perform as expected, as users claimed it habitually went off-point in long conversations with human users. That prompted Microsoft to move the chatbot to Edge’s (browser) sidebar with the Edge Copilot. You will find that this essentially makes Bing a content-creation tool.

What Will Copilot Do For You?

Microsoft showed in the virtual launch that Copilot would be placed in the taskbar of M365 apps. Users can interact with the tool from there. You can direct the tool to create copy for your content, create summaries of reports and meetings, and gain insight on other levels. You could also use it to add specific images to content and increase or decrease the content in a document. 

Here are the ways users will be able to utilize this AI-powered addition:

• In Word, Copilot will help you create and manage copy. You can direct it to increase or decrease the number of words, make it more or less fluffy, and add a little (or more) flair. You can also command the tool to suggest images and add them.
• In Excel, you can ask Copilot questions about the data on display. It can also integrate the data with another M365 app to cross references and generate new insights and data. M365 executives affirmed that users could edit information in specific cells using natural language. Finally, you can ask the tool to add a graph for proper data display and representation.
• In Outlook, you can direct Copilot to read your emails and generate responses. You can also ask Copilot to summarize your emails and respond to selected ones.
• In Teams, Copilot can summarize meetings and develop reports during and after meetings. You can get who said what from the reports, and it is easier to interact with interacting Loop documents. Power Automate, a feature of the Power Platform, could be directed to write an app that can notify you of a client’s problem and summarize the problem for action.
• In PowerPoint, Copilot can automatically design slides and add relevant images and other information. It can also help you with the needed images and text and help develop speaker notes.

There is a new addition, along with Microsoft 365 Copilot, called Business Chat. This feature is a tool that helps you gather all the data available in other suites and apply it to knowledge. It works alongside you, understanding your work by looking through your documents, comparing, and linking similar data and materials. The user can then ask Copilot to implement every change across all suites.

What Microsoft 365 Copilot Brings To the Table

If there is anything Copilot will help you with, it is that you will get more productive, and there will be more options to choose from. All tasks will get easier to work on, although Microsoft warns against retrenching staff, hoping that Copilot will do all the work. You must understand that Copilot pushes AI from autopilot mode to copilot mode and majorly acts as an assistant. That means you will still need staff on the ground to manage Copilot’s suggestions and revisions.

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