What is Copilot?

ChatGPT still gets most of the mindshare in the AI tools space, but it’s just one of many ways to harness generative AI through conversational interfaces. Microsoft entered the AI assistant space with Copilot back in November 2023. Copilot is integrated into Microsoft 365 and also operates as a standalone product. It provides a chat interface just like ChatGPT, Claude, and other solutions in your browser or via a mobile app. So what is Copilot?

If you ask Copilot to describe itself, this is the response you get:

I’m Copilot, your friendly AI companion created by Microsoft. My main goal is to help you—whether that’s answering your questions, brainstorming ideas, assisting with tasks, or simply having an engaging conversation. I’m designed to be resourceful, intuitive, and fun to talk to, while providing accurate and helpful information. Essentially, I’m here to make life a little easier and more interesting for you.

Getting more specific about what Copilot is

That description from Copilot is light on substance and basically implies it can do anything. More specifically, one of the strengths of Copilot is integration with the full Microsoft 365 suite of applications. Copilot can analyze Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, Outlook emails, and Teams meetings. It can suggest actions based on the contents of your documents and emails. Google’s Gemini, when combined with Google Workspace, is the one other AI assistant with this level of integration.

Behind the scenes, OpenAI’s GPT-4 (and more recently GPT-4 Turbo), run alongside Microsoft’s own AI models and the Microsoft Graph. That means it’s not just generating content out of thin air. It’s securely interacting with your data to produce personalized results. Think of it as a virtual assistant who you provided access to your schedule, your projects, and your conversations under a promise of privacy.

What can Microsoft Copilot do?

Copilot has tight integration with other Microsoft products, which means it can provide support for all kinds of work tasks. It does this securely, so that your data remains within your account (or your organization if you are a business user). Some examples of what Copilot can do:

• In Word: Generate first drafts, rewrite paragraphs for clarity or tone, and even suggest document structures.
• In Excel: Analyze data trends, auto-create formulas, and generate visualizations with plain English prompts.
• In PowerPoint: Build slide decks from existing docs, add speaker notes, or redesign an existing presentation.
• In Outlook: Summarize email threads, draft replies, and help prioritize what needs your attention.
• In Teams: Catch you up after meetings, suggest action items, and summarize conversations.

Similar to other conversational interfaces, you need to sign in to an account so that it can keep track of your conversation history.

If you copy and past into any of these tools, you can easily remove the gray background with one of these tips.

Copilot on the Go: iOS and Android

Microsoft also extended Copilot to mobile devices, which is a game-changer if you’re working on the go. Microsoft offers both iOS and Android apps with a mobile-friendly interface to GPT-4 Turbo. You can chat with it just like you would on the desktop, ask it to draft an email, summarize a PDF, or explain a spreadsheet formula. At the moment, Copilot does not have the ability to access your calendar and cannot send text messages via iMessage, WhatsApp, or any other popular messaging option.

If you are using Microsoft 365 mobile apps, Copilot is gradually being embedded directly into Word, Excel, and Outlook on mobile, giving you seamless AI assistance without leaving the app you’re in.

Is it worth using?

If you’re already living in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, Copilot is a no-brainer. It helps you save time, get organized, and even tackle writer’s block. Like all AI tools, it has room for improvement, which Microsoft caveats with a disclaimer right on the Copilot interface. Like any other tool, it’s important to fact-check.

One of my personal favorite things about Copilot is that it helps me remember how to do some of my teenager’s math homework. I’ve also used it to help with writing, not by writing for me, but in providing feedback on things I’ve already written, which is almost like having a human editor providing feedback.