Microsoft overhauls Copilot: 3 big changes coming to the AI app

Microsoft has announced significant changes to its AI-powered Copilot application, consolidating various features into a single, unified platform. The revamped Copilot aims to serve as the central hub for users to interact with AI across Microsoft's ecosystem, eliminating the need to switch between separate tools and applications.

The redesigned app is organized into three main sections: Home, Code, and Autopilot. The Home feature merges Microsoft's AI chat capabilities with Copilot Cowork and Office functionalities. This integration allows users to create and edit documents within Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without the need to constantly switch between different applications. Microsoft envisions Home as the primary entry point for work, unifying conversations, files, applications, and AI assistance.

Another major addition is the Code section, which leverages the underlying technology of GitHub Copilot. This part of Copilot enables users without professional development skills to build applications and software using natural-language instructions. By simply describing their desired outcome, users can harness AI to assist in the creation process.

The most significant change introduced is Autopilot, a persistent AI agent designed to operate independently and handle assigned tasks in the background. Unlike traditional chatbots, Autopilot can work autonomously and continue processing tasks even when the user is not actively engaged with Copilot. Microsoft describes Autopilot as a proactive and personalized agent capable of performing recurring or long-running tasks using a company's applications and information.

Businesses can manage Autopilot's access to data and applications through its digital identity within their systems, with administrators having the ability to monitor its activity, apply security controls, and ensure data protection compliance.