Microsoft is coming with a next-generation AI assistant called Copilot, which will simplify your work. It was announced earlier this year but is still in preview phases. Find out the release date for Microsoft 365 Copilot, its key features and price, and how you can be a part of its early access beta test.
The era of artificial intelligence continues, with new AI tools launching every day. Tech giants like Microsoft are also joining the revolution and trying to use the rising technology fully. Let’s explore everything about the upcoming AI assistant by Microsoft that all tech enthusiasts are discussing right now.
What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Microsoft 365 Copilot is a revolutionary AI-powered assistant from the tech giant that promises to transform your work with Office apps. It’s an innovative feature for the Microsoft 365 apps and services aimed to make things simpler for users. It’s suitable for both professional and personal users.
The upcoming Windows Copilot is powered by OpenAI’s advanced GPT-4 large language models (LLMs) and utilizes Microsoft Graph to convert text input into content. It can work with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams for various purposes.
For instance, users can feed a document, and it can summarize and generate a report using it within no time at all. Another example is the creation of a PowerPoint presentation from a report or generating an email using simple text-based prompts. It can simplify your work and save a lot of time.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Release Date: When is it?
Microsoft announced its upcoming AI assistant, Copilot, on March 16, 2023, but it hasn’t been launched yet. An initial test was also kicked off with 20 testers on the same date, then expanded to 600 paying customers with the office app. However, no release date for Microsoft 365 Copilot is available yet.
As of August 2023, Microsoft’s Copilot is in its Early Access Program phase, and only a few companies have access to the test drive. Microsoft hasn’t outlined a release window yet, but there have been some hints. The current sample size suggests it would take time before Copilot reaches everyone.
We expect Microsoft to release Copilot to all enterprise customers in the winter of 2023 or early 2024. Non-enterprise customers and casual users may have to wait even longer. Spring 2024 would be a safe prediction for all types of users to have access to Microsoft’s upcoming AI assistant.
How to Join Microsoft 365 Copilot Early Access Beta?
There is no way to join the Microsoft 365 Copilot Early Access Program. The company is testing the upcoming AI-powered assistant with 600 invite-only paying customers. You can’t apply anywhere to access the new feature for Microsoft 365 apps and services.
Microsoft should expand the testing program to more users soon. We’ll be the first to inform you if and when it happens. So, stay tuned, and you’ll be able to try Copilot. You can still read this post until the end to figure out what the new Microsoft feature can achieve with different Office apps.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Key Features & Uses:
Microsoft is marketing Windows Copilot as an additional feature to Microsoft 365 to boost their business productivity while saving time. It will work as a chatbot, doing tedious work like generating reports, writing emails, creating presentations, and more using your input.
Here is a look at the key features and use cases of Microsoft Windows Copilot with different Office apps:
Word:
You can use Microsoft Copilot to generate and edit text in Word documents based on user prompts. You can also ask the AI assistant to push rewrite suggestions that strengthen the points of highlighted texts.
PowerPoint:
You can use Copilot to create PowerPoint presentations summarizing information from user-selected Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, or user prompts. You can also edit presentations using prompts without having to make changes manually.
Excel:
You can use Copilot to assist with data analysis in Excel spreadsheets. The AI-powered tool can format data, create graphs, generate pivot tables, identify trends, and summarize information. It can also guide users about Excel commands and suggest formulas to investigate user questions.
Teams:
You can also use Copilot to present information in upcoming meetings in Teams or to transcribe meetings and provide debriefs if you have joined a meeting late. This feature can also summarize content from email threads and note the viewpoints of individuals involved.
Outlook:
With simple user input, you can use Copilot to draft emails with varying lengths and tones in Outlook. Copilot can pull relevant information from other emails to draft precise emails.
Business Chat:
Copilot will have a chat interface that uses information from content across all Microsoft 365 apps to answer user queries and perform other tasks you want.
OneNote:
Copilot will use prompts to draft plans, generate ideas, create lists, and organize information in OneNote. This will help customers find what they are looking for with ease.
Viva Learning:
Viva Learning will provide a natural language chat interface that will help users create a personalized learning plan, including designing upskilling paths, finding relevant sources, and scheduling time for training.
Is Microsoft 365 Copilot free?
No, Microsoft 365 Copilot is not free. It comes with an additional $30 per user per month for enterprises with a subscription to Office apps and services. It’s unknown if Microsoft will introduce a free tier for Copilot later. No announcements have been made about it yet.
A key reason why Microsoft won’t give Windows Copilot for free is its investment in building out the AI-powered feature. Microsoft has recently invested $10 billion in OpenAI in addition to the $3 billion given in 2019. The company uses OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology and Nvidia GPUs to power the upcoming AI assistant.
Hence, it’s highly unlikely that Microsoft will introduce a free tier for Copilot. However, a toned-down version of the feature could be made available for users to try and see if it’s worth paying for Copilot.
How much does Microsoft 365 Copilot cost?
Microsoft 365 Copilot costs $30 per month for a user as an add-on for subscribers of Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium plans. The pricing for non-enterprising users isn’t available yet. The tech giant has set a steep price tag for the new AI-powered assistant that simplifies your work.
A $30 price tag almost doubles the cost of the Microsoft 365 E3 plan, which costs $36/month per user, and for Microsoft 365 Business Standard subscribers, the price is almost thrice as it costs $12.50/month per user.
However, the AI-powered feature will likely justify its pricing with the ability to boost productivity significantly. It’ll be interesting to see how willing the businesses will be to buy it when the Copilot finally launches.
Final Verdict:
Microsoft is going big on AI with its partnership with OpenAI and the recent acquisition of Nuance. The new AI-assistant Copilot is a clear example that the tech giant is well-placed to be the technology industry leader in the era of artificial intelligence. You can do a lot with the right use of Copilot.
It can significantly boost your productivity, save resources and time, and do tedious tasks within a few clicks. You don’t have to rely on manual work and let AI do everything for you. The steep pricing could be a barrier to some, especially small businesses and offices, but Microsoft will surely remove that limitation.
That’s all for this post. Please ask in the comments if you have any doubts or queries about the upcoming Windows Copilot. We’ll be glad to answer.
Frequently Asked Questions:
A: No, Copilot is not free with Microsoft 365. Users must purchase it as an add-on along with the subscription to Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium plans. Microsoft recently confirmed the price of Copilot but didn’t mention if a free tier or trial will be available for the AI-powered assistant.
A: Microsoft Copilot costs $30/month per user as an add-on for the Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium subscriptions. You can’t try it for free as there is no freemium plan for the new AI-powered assistant. You must purchase it separately from your Microsoft 365 subscription.
A: Microsoft may release Copilot for all enterprise customers by the winter of 2023. It could also be delayed to early 2024 if the beta test takes longer. The AI-powered assistant will likely be available for non-enterprise customers by late 2024. It’s only available to 600 invite-only, paying customers under the Early Access Program.
A: Yes, Microsoft Copilot will work on Mac as macOS is compatible with Office 365, and Copilot is an additional feature for the productivity suite. However, Copilot doesn’t work on Mac currently, as it’s only available in the Early Access Program for Windows desktop client applications.
This is Saquib, a technology and social media expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. With a passion for staying up-to-date on the latest developments and trends in the tech and social media world and as a writer, I have been creating informative and engaging content that is easy for readers to understand and enjoy, also published in several leading tech and social media publications and is a regular speaker at industry events. In addition to my writing and speaking engagements, I also work as a consultant, helping businesses grow with the ever-changing tech and social media niche.