Bringing AI to your desktop: Microsoft Copilot

Generative AI is transforming how we work—enabling rapid content creation, summarisation, and automation. (New to generative AI? Check out Alex’s breakdown here). One of the most exciting developments in this space is Microsoft Copilot, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to help users interact with Microsoft applications using natural language.

What Is Microsoft Copilot?

The term "Copilot" has become a key part of Microsoft’s AI strategy. In simple terms, a copilot is an AI assistant that integrates directly into Microsoft applications, enabling users to perform tasks, find information, and generate content using conversational language.

Microsoft has introduced copilot functionality across various platforms, including GitHub, PowerApps and Power Automate to help developers and non-developers alike accelerate productivity. But the spotlight is currently on Microsoft 365 Copilot, which brings generative AI directly into your everyday tools like Word, Outlook, Teams, and Excel.

Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot

Unlike typical generative AI tools like ChatGPT that rely on public internet data, Microsoft 365 Copilot is trained on your organisation’s data stored within Microsoft 365. This includes documents, emails, calendars, chats, and more, meaning responses are tailored to your internal context.

For example, Copilot can:

• Draft documents based on previous reports.

• Summarise missed Teams meetings using transcripts.

• Surface insights from past emails or project notes.

• Answer follow-up questions using organisational data.

This context-aware functionality significantly enhances workplace productivity, especially for tasks that are repetitive or time-consuming.

The Microsoft Copilot Ecosystem

Microsoft Copilot isn’t just one tool, it’s a connected ecosystem that includes:

1. Microsoft 365 Copilot

An AI assistant embedded in tools like Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Users can chat with Copilot to:

• Summarise documents or meetings.

• Write content drafts.

• Analyse Excel data.

• Locate relevant information across Microsoft 365.

2. Copilot in Windows

This version adds AI assistance to Windows 11, allowing natural language commands like:

• “Turn on dark mode.”

• “Summarise this article.” It also integrates Copilot into Windows apps like Photos and Paint.

3. Bing Chat Enterprise

Secure AI-powered web search and content generation. It keeps your business data within your Microsoft 365 tenant and does not use your data to train public models.

4. Copilot Stack for Developers

Developers can embed Copilot-like functionality into custom applications using Microsoft’s foundational models and tools.

Microsoft Copilot Pricing & Availability

How to Get Started with Microsoft 365 Copilot

To adopt Microsoft 365 Copilot in your organisation, you’ll need the following:

Licensing Requirements

• Active Microsoft 365 E3+, E5, or Business Premium licenses.

• Add-on Copilot licenses for users.

Up-to-Date Microsoft 365 Apps

Ensure you're running the latest Office clients that support Copilot functionality, and that connected services are enabled.

Data in Microsoft 365

The more of your organisational data stored in Microsoft 365, the more useful Copilot becomes. If it's not in the cloud, it can't be surfaced.

Training & Support

Microsoft offers Copilot Lab, a platform for experimenting with prompts, getting training, and learning best practices.

Is Microsoft 365 Copilot Secure?

Yes. Microsoft Copilot adheres to enterprise-grade security and compliance standards:

• All data stays within your Microsoft 365 tenant.

• Copilot only shows content that users have permission to access.

• Your data is not used to train language models.

• A semantic index helps Copilot understand your organisation’s structure and data without compromising privacy.

Is Microsoft Copilot worth It?

At $30 per user per month, Microsoft 365 Copilot isn’t cheap but the potential ROI is significant. If Copilot saves each user an hour or two a month by drafting emails, summarising meetings, or locating documents, the productivity boost could easily justify the cost.

For best results, monitor adoption and usage via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center to ensure you're getting value.

Want to Learn More?

If you’d like help preparing for Microsoft Copilot or understanding how it can boost productivity in your business, get in touch at vincent.sharp@waterstons.com.