Microsoft to launch unified AI companion Copilot, across Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 apps

Microsoft is set to officially launch its unified AI companion, Microsoft Copilot (Windows & 365), across various applications in Windows 11 on September 26th. Copilot for Windows could already be tested if you were part of the Windows Insider program since June, but now the AI will be available to all users and will be integrated with Windows 11, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Bing / Microsoft Copilot. Yusuf Mehdi, the consumer chief marketing officer, describes Copilot as a technology companion that provides personalized assistance based on web context, work data, and real-time PC activities, while maintaining user privacy and security.

With user permissions, Copilot can access calendar, email, and document data to assist in drafting texts and emails, and offer real-time suggestions in applications like Outlook. It can also enhance its abilities by drawing context from Bing Mobile and Edge on smartphones. Microsoft 365 Chat, for Microsoft 365 Copilot users, extends Bing Chat Enterprise, offering advanced data analysis and integration with popular Microsoft 365 Apps, and it will be available at $30 per user per month for enterprise customers starting November 1st.

The updated Copilot will be available through a Windows 11 update, accessible via keyboard shortcuts or right-click functionality, and will be featured in Microsoft's default apps on Windows 11. Users will be able to control desktop experiences using voice or text commands for tasks like arranging windows, toggling dark mode, launching Spotify playlists, and generating text (it can even use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or Microsoft PowerPoint if you have those installed).