Copilot is compatible with Microsoft 365 apps and material found in Microsoft Graph, including documents, conversations, and emails that users are allowed to view. It assists users in producing text and graphics more rapidly by utilizing large language models (LLMs) and generative artificial intelligence (AI).
Microsoft 365 Copilot was made broadly available to corporate customers on November 1, 2023. Copilot functions with Microsoft 365 apps and material that is accessible through Microsoft Graph, including documents, chats, and emails that are accessible to users. Large language models (LLMs) and generative artificial intelligence (AI) are used to assist users in producing text and graphics more rapidly. First revealed on March 16, 2023, the AI-powered assistant was showcased on March 28 at Enterprise Connect 2023.
MICROSOFT 365 COPILOT: WHAT IS IT?
Microsoft 365 Copilot facilitates the organization as well as acceleration of regular knowledge-based tasks that individuals often do. Microsoft claims that Copilot is integrated into the Microsoft 365 programs users use on a daily basis, working alongside users.
For instance, replies rooted in an organization’s data (such as user papers, emails, calendars, chats, meetings, and contacts) may be produced via Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft 365 Copilot may merge this material with the user’s working context (the user’s current meeting, email exchanges, and chat chats) if the end user requests it. According to Microsoft, Copilot puts the person in charge, letting them choose what to keep, change, or throw out. The Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service is used by Microsoft 365 Copilot AI functionalities.
MICROSOFT 365 COPILOT DETAILS
The requirements to use Microsoft 365 Copilot are outlined on this Microsoft page. To help individuals interested in Copilot get started with the new AI tool as soon as feasible, No Jitter has put it here and summarized the main elements.
To obtain Copilot, an organization must utilize Microsoft 365 E3 or E5, and pay the extra licensing price. A Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 license is also needed to use the Semantic Index for Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Please take note that Microsoft has set a minimum order requirement for Copilot subscriptions of 300 seats. This is mentioned in a Microsoft Community post and in a Dave Michels essay on No Jitter.
- Users require a Microsoft Entra ID, formerly known as Azure Active Directory accounts.
- Users must have a OneDrive account in order to access some capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot, such file restoration and OneDrive administration.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot is compatible with the latest Outlook calendar and email software for Mac and Windows.
- The Microsoft 365 admin center’s Microsoft Teams setup guide may be used to set up many aspects of Teams, such as permissions for team formation, external access, and guest access. You can use Copilot in Teams on Windows, Mac, the web, iOS, and Android devices.
- An organization has to have Microsoft Loop enabled for each tenant in order to use Microsoft 365 Copilot with Microsoft Loop. Either the Microsoft 365 Apps admin centre or the Microsoft 365 Admin centre may be used for this.
MICROSOFT 365 COPILOT USAGE GUIDE
Initially, an organization has to confirm that it has access to Microsoft 365 Copilot, which costs $30 per month for users of Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium. Additionally, Microsoft has mandated a 300-seat minimum for Copilot memberships, as previously mentioned. Ultimately, it needs to be made usable by an organization’s IT department and meet the previously mentioned requirements.
You may use Microsoft 365 Copilot to help with the development of spreadsheets, emails, notes, presentations, papers, and more. The Microsoft Copilot website offers animated “gif” samples of how to use Copilot in each of the well-known software products from the corporation, such as:
Microsoft Word with Copilot: Facilitates the rapid creation or editing of content related to a certain subject. In addition to creating summaries of already-written papers, it may add new information depending on what is already there.
Copilot with Microsoft Outlook: Users may have Copilot create email drafts and email thread summaries.
Microsoft PowerPoint and Copilot: Using information from other documents, Microsoft PowerPoint and Copilot may generate a whole presentation with text and graphics. Additionally, it can reorganize and/or restructure the presentation and provide a summary version of a larger one.
Microsoft Excel with Copilot: These tools allow users to describe their goals and create complicated calculations based on data analysis and commentary on specific trends seen in the data.
The workings of Microsoft 365 Copilot
- The description of Microsoft 365 Copilot’s operation that follows is taken from the company’s Copilot website and makes reference to the diagram that came before it.
- An input prompt from a user in an application, such Word or PowerPoint, reaches Copilot.
- In order to get responses that are pertinent and useful for the given job, Copilot pre-processes the input prompt using a technique known as grounding, which increases the prompt’s specificity.
- The prompt is sent to the LLM for processing by Copilot, and it may contain text from input files or other stuff that it finds.
- Only data that a specific user already has access to is accessed by Copilot, for instance through role-based access constraints in Microsoft 365.
- After receiving the answer from the LLM, Copilot post-processes it, generating commands, doing responsible AI checks, security, compliance, and privacy evaluations, and making additional grounding calls to Microsoft Graph.
- After Copilot has returned the answer, the user may examine and evaluate it within the app.
The primary features of Microsoft 365 Pilot
In order to help users with suggestions, summaries, generating, analyzing, and exploring information and data across documents, spreadsheets, presentations, notes, chats, emails, meetings, and more, Microsoft 365 Copilot works alongside users.
Irrespective of the specific application where the generative AI-powered capacity is integrated, Microsoft 365 Copilot offers several essential benefits. These characteristics include:
- Summary based on audio, video, etc.
- Creation of material (such as notes, ideas, and recommendations) in response to user prompts.
- Analyzing and/or combining data from many sources (notes, emails, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, corporate information repositories, and more) based on requests from the user.
- As mentioned above, there will be variations in the specific apps that Microsoft supplies (Word, Excel, etc.) that make use of these generic capabilities.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Microsoft 365 Pilot
The benefits and drawbacks of Microsoft 365 Copilot are mainly hypothetical because it is just now commercially accessible. This will alter as usage increases.
Advantages / Pros
- By automating follow-up action items, taking meeting notes, producing summaries, making presentations, and other repetitive operations, users may reclaim time that was previously spent on boring, repetitive work.
- enables people to communicate with technology using natural language, such as when creating intricate Excel calculations.
- Data analysis might be provided by Copilot much faster than by a person. (Accuracy still has to be verified still.)
- faster brainstorming, iteration, and creation of fresh material.
Drawbacks / Cons
Users and Microsoft 365 Copilot will have more access to company data than may be ideal if permissions are not set correctly. Issues with security, privacy, etc., could arise from this.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: MICROSOFT 365 COPILOT
Microsoft 365 Copilot is intended to fit seamlessly into customers’ everyday routines, enabling them to do repetitive, rote chores more quickly and effectively and flying through their to-do list. If the product lives up to the anticipation that has grown since it was unveiled on March 16, 2023, and showcased at Enterprise Connect 2023 on March 28, 2023, only time will tell.
