Microsoft Reworks Copilot as Unified Business AI App
publishers 16articles 18first reported 25 Sep, 12:00 UTCdeveloping since 25 Sep · 5 editions
Microsoft has introduced a redesigned Copilot app that combines workplace assistance, coding and custom AI agents in a single product, shifting its focus toward enterprise use as it competes with bundled offerings from Anthropic and OpenAI.
The app includes Home, Code and Autopilot, while Copilot Cowork can carry out more complex productivity tasks. Code uses technology from GitHub Copilot and is designed to let nontechnical users start simple programming projects. Autopilot allows customers to create agents that perform assignments and communicate through Teams and Outlook.
Microsoft previously offered its Microsoft 365 Copilot assistant separately from GitHub Copilot. The company said customers will pay for Cowork, Code and Autopilot based on usage, rather than through standard subscriptions. Its commercial Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription currently costs $30 per user per month.
The overhaul comes as adoption of Microsoft’s flagship workplace AI product remains limited relative to its Office customer base. CNBC reported that fewer than 7% of more than 450 million commercial Office 365 seats have licenses for the AI add-on. Separately, Microsoft employee Nicolas Bustamante said Microsoft 365 Copilot has 30 million paid seats and is growing quickly.
Jacob Andreou, Microsoft’s executive vice president for Copilot, acknowledged to CNBC that adding coding capabilities represented an effort to catch up with competitors. He said Microsoft was prioritizing user value and output quality over cost efficiency.
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Written from 8 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 36 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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