Microsoft gets its own Claude Cowork version for task & workflow automation in 365 apps

Microsoft has released Copilot Cowork, a new feature in Microsoft 365 enabling Copilot to handle tasks, run workflows, and take meaningful action without constant user involvement. Users can delegate work by describing the outcome they want, while Cowork grounds its actions in relevant emails, meetings, messages, files, and organizational data.

Building on these capabilities, Copilot Cowork uses Work IQ to gather context from Outlook, Teams, Excel, and other core Microsoft 365 applications, helping it understand tasks much as a user would. When a task is assigned, Cowork turns it into a structured plan that continues executing in the background, providing regular checkpoints. Users retain oversight with the ability to confirm progress, adjust details, pause execution, or approve changes before they are finalized. The plan-to-action loop enables Copilot to deliver completed work, rather than just surface information.

With these new capabilities, Copilot Cowork operates within the security and compliance boundaries of Microsoft 365, ensuring identity, permissions, and governance policies are upheld. Actions and outputs are fully auditable, while the service runs in a protected, sandboxed cloud environment, supporting durable execution even as users move across devices. Microsoft has integrated technology from Claude Cowork, enabling Copilot to select the most effective AI model for each job. Copilot Cowork is in Research Preview and broader release is planned for later this month through the Frontier program.