Introduction
The landscape of our working life has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few years, particularly since November 2022, when ChatGPT was released to the public.
This turned out to be a watershed moment. It was the first time many people became aware of, or had access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools with the immense potential to redefine productivity in the workplace and our lives.
There are lots of AI tools currently on the market but Microsoft Copilot could turn out to be something special. As the biggest investor in ChatGPT, arguably the world’s best-known AI tool, Microsoft’s aim is to leverage it to assist with a huge variety of business tasks.
What is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot isn’t just another AI tool; it’s designed to be a comprehensive, AI-powered personal assistant designed to make your life easier.
Copilot integrates seamlessly with Microsoft’s suite of applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook through Microsoft 365 Copilot. It can help make all areas of your work faster and more productive, like document creation, data analysis, and communication.
Just to confuse things, Copilot also has a general version. This is similar to ChatGPT, allowing you to generate text and create images from the prompts you provide. It’s available for anyone with a Microsoft account. You can access it at copilot.microsoft.com or you can download the app to your phone via the App Store or Play Store.
However, for the rest of this article, we’ll focus on using Copilot in a business setting.
How is Copilot Different from ChatGPT?
Although Copilot utilises the underlying AI technology from ChatGPT, it’s tailored more for the professional environment. ChatGPT serves a broader range of purposes, from writing emails to finding recipes or answering general knowledge queries.
Another significant distinction is that Copilot integrates fully with the Microsoft suite. It offers content-aware suggestions within the apps and is designed to enhance productivity in your business tasks.
How do I access Copilot?
As mentioned above, the general version of Copilot that includes text and image generation is available for free at copilot.microsoft.com.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 (the business version) is available for Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Business Premium users as a paid add-on. The price is currently £24.70 per user, per month as of March 2024.
To access it, speak to your Microsoft 365 admin or supplier to add Copilot to your subscription.
How Can Copilot Help Make Your Business Tasks Easier?
There are numerous ways that Copilot can help make you more productive in business. From drafting emails with the perfect tone and style to analysing complex datasets in Excel, Copilot can significantly reduce the time and effort required for routine tasks.
Here’s a few specific examples of how Copilot can transform your work life.
- Streamlining Communication: Efficient communication, including email and report writing, is crucial in business. Copilot accelerates these tasks by offering writing suggestions, grammar corrections, and tone adjustments.
- Simplifying Data: Excel becomes less daunting with Copilot, which assists with data visualisation, identifying trends, and simplifying complex data sets. This helps improve decision-making and provides actionable insights.
- Enhancing Presentations: It’s easier to develop effective presentations with Copilot’s design and content suggestions. It can help structure your presentation, ensure your message is clear, and help create a professional design.
How Does Copilot Compare to Other AI Tools Like Chat GPT or Google Gemini?
While ChatGPT laid the groundwork for AI, Copilot takes this foundation and integrates it into Microsoft’s ecosystem. This is the main difference between ChatGPT, Google Gemini and other AI tools. Copilot is designed to work within the tools millions of businesses already use and to help businesses improve their productivity.
Summary
Microsoft Copilot appears to be an exciting step forward in using AI in our working lives. By building on the foundations laid by ChatGPT, Copilot integrates AI directly into Microsoft’s suite of programs, providing the potential to dramatically improve productivity in your business.
If you’re interested in exploring how Copilot can transform your business, or if you’ve got any questions about setting up Copilot, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.