As we venture into 2024, the hotly anticipated Microsoft 365 Copilot suite of AI tools is set to become widely available.
Microsoft developed 365 Copilot in collaboration with OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. It unleashes an arsenal of productivity and creativity tools for Microsoft’s products.
While Microsoft has been gradually offering 365 Copilot to Enterprise users, it’s estimated that it’ll be widely available by mid-2024.
However, Microsoft has pushed the release dates back a couple of times, so it’s worth keeping an eye on if your company has less than 300 users on its licence.
Overview of Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot is designed to combine the power of large language models (LLMs) with an organisation’s data. In essence, it lets you combine the chatbot functionality of tools like ChatGPT with your own data.
This AI assistant is designed to fuel productivity and is integrated across Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
It’s engineered to understand context and to bring the right skills across work and life scenarios, thus transforming your words into powerful productivity tools.
Microsoft Copilot Features and Benefits
Microsoft 365 Copilot is poised to unlock productivity across numerous applications:
- In Word: Copilot promises to assist in drafting documents, editing, summarising, and tailoring the tone of the content.
- In Excel: Copilot aids in data analysis, identifying trends, and creating visualisations.
- In PowerPoint: It will help you transform ideas into presentations, helping with layouts, text reformatting, and animations.
- In Outlook: Copilot streamlines email management, summarising threads, and assisting in composing responses.
- In Teams: The tool enhances meeting efficiency by summarising discussions, suggesting action items, and helping you create agendas or schedules.
Customisation with Microsoft Copilot Studio
One of the key USPs of 365 Copilot is customisation through the Microsoft Copilot Studio.
This low-code tool allows for the customisation of Copilot for Microsoft 365, enabling businesses to tailor the AI assistant to their operations.
This is secure, and Microsoft promises not to use business data for AI model training or commercial purposes.
Business Chat
Another innovative feature is the Business Chat, which works across an organisation’s data and apps.
Again, this pools data from across your business into a singular, easy-to-use AI tool.
Summing Up
Rolling out for Microsoft Office 2024, Microsoft 365 Copilot promises a new era of AI-enhanced productivity.
Its deep integration into widely used Microsoft applications position it as an exciting business productivity tool, particularly for businesses already in the Microsoft ecosystem.
If your business isn’t currently eligible for 365 Copilot, keep your ears on the ground to find out when Microsoft is opening the tool up to more users.