What is Microsoft Copilot? Microsoft’s AI Explained 

Imagine an AI assistant that anticipates your needs and elevates your digital life. This is the future, and Microsoft Copilot is making it a reality. Microsoft collaborated with OpenAI to develop a suite of AI tools to improve quality of life. Among these innovations is Loop, which integrates into Search, Edge, Microsoft 365, and Windows 11. This blog will guide you through Copilot, Microsoft’s AI poised to redefine your digital experience.

What is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot, an AI-powered assistant, is being introduced across Microsoft’s operating systems and applications. Its functionality varies based on the app where it is invoked.

When accessed through a browser, Copilot behaves similarly to ChatGPT. Windows 11 offers capabilities like toggling dark mode or starting an activity session. If opened in Microsoft Edge, you can request Copilot to provide a summary of the current webpage.

Moreover, Copilot extends across Microsoft’s Office apps. Word facilitates the creation of AI-generated drafts, while in PowerPoint, you can ask it to summarize your presentation.

Bing Chat or Bing AI, What is it?

Microsoft Copilot is just a renamed version of Bing Chat, previously known as Bing AI. Microsoft opted for this unified nomenclature to create consistency across its AI assistants within various utilities.

However, introducing Microsoft Copilot also brings new features with this updated version. Notably, it now supports the advanced GPT-4 Turbo model. This means it elevates your interactions with the chatbot, ensuring more accurate, lifelike responses, and, much more helpful.

Microsoft Copilot Launch

Microsoft is progressively launching its Copilot companions across a range of applications. This initiative started with the Bing AI, now known as the Microsoft Companion, initially launched in February 2023 and later rebranded in November 2023.

However, the company has diverse AI offerings for various uses and clients. The Loop app uses AI to enhance collaborative work, while distinct Copilots cater to enterprise users, with one seamlessly integrated into Windows 11.

Here are the key release dates for Copilots:

1. Microsoft Copilot: Initially released in February 2023, rebranded as Microsoft Copilot in November 2023.
2. Windows Copilot: Rollout in September 2023 through a Windows Update for Windows 11.
3. Copilot for Microsoft 365: Initially launched for enterprise customers in November 2023, with availability for other users yet to be specified.

How Copilot is Integrated with Microsoft Office

When using Copilot within Microsoft Office, a variety of actions are at your disposal depending on the active app:

• In Microsoft Word, Copilot crafts initial drafts based on prompts. It draws content from collaborative documents across the organization using Microsoft Graph. It can refine the document’s tone to sound either professional or casual.
• For Microsoft Excel, Copilot simplifies complex formula-based queries with natural language prompts. It can generate visualizations, projections, and recommendations without changing the spreadsheet.
• In Microsoft PowerPoint, Copilot auto-generates a slide deck from your outline or a Word document, streamlining the process of creating presentations with basic commands.
• Microsoft Outlook, Copilot efficiently handles routine emails and extracts content from email threads and Microsoft 365, allowing adjustments to the tone and length of responses.
• In Microsoft Teams, Copilot can set meeting agendas and schedules. Additionally, it aids decision-making by presenting the pros and cons of discussions and suggesting subsequent steps.
• This service integrates with your calendar, emails, chats, documents, meetings, and contacts for Business Chat. It serves as a consolidated solution for inquiries related to projects and plans, which can boost your collaboration.

Understanding Relation Between Copilot and ChatGPT

In 2019, Microsoft initiated a multi-billion-dollar investment in OpenAI, leading to the development of incredible creations like the image generation tool DALL-E 2 and the widely embraced ChatGPT. The latter, an intelligent AI-driven chat tool, engages in human-like conversations, provides answers, suggests ideas, and aids in diverse tasks. Trained on extensive language and multimodal models with substantial datasets and human interactions, ChatGPT doesn’t access web searches.

OpenAI’s rapid advancements, including the introduction of ChatGPT 4, showcase its versatility in composing essays, coding, proposing business ideas, and even passing the bar exam. In February 2023, Microsoft disclosed using ChatGPT to power “the new Bing,” incorporating next-generation AI into Bing search.

Microsoft Copilot is beyond a conventional search engine, functioning as a conversational tool labeled “AI Copilot for the Web.” Equipped with enhanced capabilities, Microsoft Copilot promises improved search results, comprehensive answers, an innovative chat experience, and content generation.

What are the Common Microsoft Copilot Conversation Styles?

Opening Copilot within an app outside of Office prompts you to select a conversational style tailored to your preference. The choice you make influences the tone of Copilot’s responses:

1. More Precise: This option makes Copilot a “rigid” tone, delivering information in a highly professional and transparent manner, devoid of excessive conversational elements. For instance, when Copilot was asked to educate about cats in precise mode, it presented details in a straightforward bullet-point list.
2. More Balanced: Opting for this setting adds a touch of friendliness to Copilot’s tone while maintaining clarity and conciseness. In balanced mode, Copilot shared scientific facts about cats when queried, followed by a few entertaining facts.
3. More Creative: This makes Copilot imaginative, allowing for a more liberated and expressive dialogue. When prompted to teach about cats, Copilot, in Creative mode, provided basic facts and expressed admiration for cats as “amazing animals,” suggesting humans should care for them better.

Conclusion

Microsoft Copilot is a remarkable revolution in integrating artificial intelligence into our digital experiences. From its origins as Bing AI, Copilot has evolved into a versatile assistant across Microsoft’s suite, offering precision, balance, and creativity in its conversational styles. With advancements like the incorporation of the GPT-4 Turbo model, Copilot is set to redefine our interactions with technology, promising a future where AI seamlessly enhances our daily tasks. As we embrace this era of AI evolution, Microsoft Copilot emerges as a pivotal player, supporting the innovative spirit carrying us to a more intelligent and interconnected digital landscape.

WRITTEN BY

Anjali Goyal

Anjali Goyal is a content writer at TechEela. She helps businesses increase their online presence with optimized and engaging content. Her service includes blog writing, technical writing, and digital marketing.

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