Microsoft 365 Copilot release date speculation, when is it widely available?
When is Copilot for 365 going to release to the public?
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Microsoft 365 Copilot, the latest AI-powered app from Microsoft, has been the talk of the town since its unveiling on March 16th. A lot of people are excited to find out when they can start using it. While we may not know when Copilot will be available to the public, its launch is highly anticipated, and we can expect it to be a game-changer in the world of productivity apps.
The launch of Microsoft 365 Copilot is a significant step towards AI, and it will have a significant impact on how we use Microsoft Office applications. With Copilot, users can expect to have an AI-powered virtual assistant that can help them with various tasks, from writing emails to creating presentations. Most people are familiar with AI now thanks to the likes of ChatGPT, but Copilot is taking it one step further – with new capabilities to apply to some well-established programs.
On May 9th, Microsoft announced they were rolling out early access to 365 Copilot to 600 more global clients.
Microsoft 365 Copilot release date speculation – Is Microsoft Copilot out yet?
Despite being officially introduced, there is unfortunately no confirmed release date for Copilot just yet for the public. Microsoft has revealed that only a select group of their clients currently have access to the app, and it will be rolled out in the “coming months” if everything goes smoothly. We also wait to see whether or not Copilot will be available to students for free as the current suite often is.
On Friday the 31st of March, some aspects of the upcoming Copilot features were revealed, which suggests we are rapidly approaching the rollout this exciting artificial intelligence. Aside from this, there is no real picture as to when it’s coming or how much it will cost. Luckily the early access program is now here – more on that below.
Microsoft 365 Copilot early access program
On May 9th 2023, Microsoft went ahead and revealed the ‘Microsoft 365 Copilot Early Access Program’. They also revealed the ‘Microsoft Work Trend Index’ – which highlights how AI is boosting productivity, you can read more about that here.
Now back to the early access program, which is now available and will roll out to 600 customers worldwide in the first wave of the program. This is an invitation-only and paid preview of 365 Copilot, so it’s unlikely you’ll see access as a general user of Microsoft 365 for now. Early access comes with a bunch of new features too, giving access to Copilot within a growing number of Microsoft 365 apps. This includes Whiteboard, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Loop, and Viva Learning.
Microsoft copilot price
On July 18th 2023 Microsoft put out a new blog post which among other things confirmed the pricing of Microsoft 365 Copilot. Thew company has announced that for commercial customers Microsoft 365 Copilot will cost $30 per user per month for E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium customers. currently Copilot is still not available to anyone and it remains to be seen when the software will be rolled out beyond the 600 initial business customers.
What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant integrated into Microsoft 365 apps that uses OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Microsoft Graph to assist users with various tasks. It is a sophisticated processing and orchestration engine that offers an intuitive and personalized experience, allowing users to keep, modify, or discard suggestions.
Copilot simplifies document creation and performs different tasks depending on the app in use, such as:
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
- Teams
Currently being tested by select individuals and enterprises, Copilot is a powerful tool that leverages AI and natural language processing to help users complete tasks with ease.
Microsoft Copilot features
When Copilot is integrated into Microsoft 365, users will have a vast array of tools at their disposal to greatly speed up their work and make using 365 programs even easier.
Recently Microsoft announced that Copilot will feature integration with OpenAI‘s DALL-E. Thanks to this users will be able to prompt Copilot to create their very own AI images within PowerPoint to add to their slides.
Viva Learning is a another new service which will feature a natural language interface and allow its users to build tailored learning journey and upskilling paths. For businesses this will be a fantastic program as Viva Learning will show you learning resources for their employees.
Copilot will also be of great use in Outlook and Word, allowing you to craft effectively emails and text to suit your writing style and purpose.
On May 2nd Microsoft shared a blog post outlining Copilot’s integration with SharePoint. SharePoint is a popular Microsoft program which many organizations use to create websites and intranets. With the announcement of Copilot’s integration into SharePoint, this process will undoubtedly become even easier. Microsoft is obviously looking to integrate its Large Language Model into several of its programs which is a very exciting prospect.
Microsoft has said that “Copilot in SharePoint turns your words into SharePoint sites and pages”. The idea here is that a user can simply describe to Copilot the page or site that they’re envisaging, and the software will begin to create it for you. You will then be able to work in tandem with the Copilopt to refine and tweak the final product until you’re happy.
This is potentially a game changer for setting up new websites and pages. Copilot in SharePoint will save huge amounts of time that could best go into productivity elsewhere. Being able to work with and alongside Copilot by simply describing site features should also vastly lower the skill and knowledge bar for being able to successfully set up a website.
You can read the full SharePoint in the AI Era post here.
Workflow of Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot promises to be a game-changer for users of the company’s CRM and ERP solution, enabling them to streamline their workflows and optimize productivity. By minimizing repetitive tasks and automating routine processes, Copilot provides a more efficient and effective way of working, freeing up valuable time and resources for more strategic and creative tasks.
Copilot’s integration with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and other applications means that it can offer users valuable insights and recommendations based on the data and information they are working with. providing instant access to relevant information and observations, Copilot helps users to make informed decisions and take action more quickly.
As Business Chat, Copilot’s instant messaging-based interface gains popularity, it is likely to become an essential tool for teams working collaboratively across different applications and platforms. With Copilot, users can get more done in less time, making it a valuable asset for companies looking to improve their efficiency and competitiveness.
What is Business Chat?
Business Chat is set to roll out after the new Copilot AI update hits the everyday apps listed above. Business Chat works across the large language model, 365 apps, and your calendar, emails, chats, docs, meetings, and contacts. This means it is going to have abilities that were previously not possible. With specific prompts, you can pull together key information from several applications, generating status updates, meeting requests, and vital chat threads.
Is Copilot biased?
There have been concerns in the past of AI bias or hallucinations. In this context, AI hallucinations refers to the chatbot returning information which is simply incorrect and seemingly made up. These sorts of things have been spotted in chatbots and similar AI in the past. This can be seen as concerning, especially when dealing with private data and information in the form of a spreadsheet or word document.
Jon Friedman, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of design and research has discussed this. They accept that AI can’t be right 100% of the time, and advise users to use the AI as a guide – always edit and iterate on AI-generated content. Microsoft has been putting limits in place to control its ‘outbursts’.
Windows Copilot
Microsoft has recently announced that they are also bringing Copilot integration to their Windows 11. This will make Windows 11 the first operating system with centralized AI assistance.
This should be massively helpful in terms of productivity and ease of navigation when working on Windows. The fact that Windows Copilot will allow you to seamlessly navigate between multiple applications should help you focus on bringing your vision to life by allowing the energy and concentration you would’ve spent on finding, launching, and working across different applications. Windows Copilot will also contain Bing and ChatGPT plugins to further extend the possibilities at your fingertips.
Windows Copilot will be up for preview in June 2023 so keep an eye out for updates.
How to use Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft 365
You’ll first need early access to actually use Microsoft Copilot in it’s current state, until it’s publicly available. The Verge points out that this private test requires an Azure AD work account. Once you have access though, you can simply enable the setting for integration with your Microsoft 365 apps including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and so on. In your chosen app’s ribbon menu, you’ll usually find the Copilot icon on the right hand side. Simply click this to access the tool; a new panel on the right side will be opened up, acting as a conversation with Copilot.
Then, you can give Copilot a prompt or request to work from, in the field which asks ‘Describe what you’d like to create, or type / for suggestions’. For example, in PowerPoint, you can say ‘add a transition between each slide’ or even ask Copilot to write 5 slides on a topic of your choosing, giving it specifics to work from. Remember that you should use Copilot as an assistant, manually editing your content as needed to refine it further or correct any mistakes.
Microsoft 365 Copilot release date : Final word
As Microsoft continues to refine and improve Copilot based on feedback from its clients, users can expect even more powerful and intuitive features in the future. If you want to stay ahead of the curve and optimize your productivity, it’s worth keeping an eye on this exciting new development from Microsoft. We are going to have our ears on the ground for a Microsoft Copilot release date and will update this article accordingly.
Microsoft 365 Copilot FAQs
Is Microsoft Copilot worth getting?
Copilot is a generative-AI productivity tool, capable of helping you in a number of ways in the 365 suite. Its primary benefit is going to be productivity, with incredible ability to make every aspect of your Microsoft working day efficient.
Is Copilot available now?
Copilot has rolled out to a limited number of testers at the moment, with the official release date still unknown.
