Microsoft's latest free AI feature boosts productivity in Office apps
What's the story
Microsoft has announced the integration of its Copilot Chat feature into Office apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. The new addition is available to all Microsoft 365 business users at no extra cost. The Copilot Chat sidebar will assist users in drafting documents and analyzing spreadsheets without requiring an additional license for Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Feature details
Copilot Chat will provide tailored responses
Seth Patton, General Manager of Microsoft 365 Copilot product marketing, described the new feature as "secure AI chat grounded in the web." He said that "Copilot Chat is content aware," meaning it quickly understands what you're working on and tailors answers to the file you have open. This way, users can get relevant assistance without having to pay for an additional license.
License benefits
Some Copilot features still require a paid subscription
While the free version of Copilot can rewrite documents, summarize content, and assist in creating PowerPoint slides, the best integration into Office apps is only available with the $30/month per user Microsoft 365 Copilot license. This paid subscription also offers advanced capabilities like reasoning over entire work data and priority access to features such as file upload and image generation.
Enhanced access
Microsoft 365 Copilot users get priority access to new features
Patton further explained that users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license get priority access to new features such as file upload and image generation. They also have access to the latest technology like GPT-5, which provides faster response times and more consistent availability, even during peak usage periods. This ensures that businesses using these advanced tools can continue their work without interruptions or delays.
Upcoming changes
Microsoft to integrate sales, service, and finance Copilots into one
Earlier this year, Microsoft had introduced its AI-powered Copilot features into Office apps for consumer Microsoft 365 plans. However, it also increased subscription prices at that time. Now, the tech giant is preparing to bundle its sales, service, and finance Copilots into the Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription in October. This move could lower costs for some businesses that rely on these advanced AI tools from Microsoft.