Microsoft is integrating more of its AI-powered Copilot technology into its productivity products, including Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. The updates are part of what the tech giant refers to as its Copilot Wave 2 rollout. The new features include using Copilot to draft PowerPoint presentations and prioritize emails in Outlook.
Feeling wordy? Watch how Microsoft 365 Copilot helps slim down communication and focus on what's most important, so your team stays in the know. #IYCYK pic.twitter.com/nt3NNMkIGZ
— Microsoft 365 (@Microsoft365) September 17, 2024
Microsoft also announced a new collaborative tool called Copilot Pages. This tool allows teams to access, edit, and manipulate data on a single page using information pulled from Copilot. In addition, the company debuted a new agent builder option for creating Copilot-powered agents.
📧 Need to create a quick report? Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word references work data like your emails and meetings to help you create relevant, context-rich documents with your colleagues. #AI pic.twitter.com/6iBEM24hdL
— Microsoft 365 (@Microsoft365) September 17, 2024
These AI assistants are designed to automate and execute business processes.
neat little Copilot in OneDrive feature that lets you easily compare files. These are the kind of AI features that I can get behind https://t.co/PsR0XG2LJW pic.twitter.com/9oJS0bN1t0
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) September 16, 2024
New AI tools in Office products
During a showcase event, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that customers using Copilot have increased more than 60% quarter over quarter, with daily usage doubling.
Vodafone is set to purchase 68,000 Copilot licenses for its 100,000 employees, finding the software saved workers an average of three hours per week per person. Charles Lamanna, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of business and industry Copilot, said, “One of the things we heard very consistently was that Copilot is not one size fits all. Different companies have different data sources, workflows, and processes, thus requiring customized AI solutions.”
For example, a company can use Copilot Studio to create an agent that answers questions about its healthcare offerings, drawing from relevant documents to provide employees with necessary information.
“Everyone in a company will be able to create and use agents,” Lamanna said. Microsoft’s Copilot software is a significant part of its push into the generative AI space, which includes investing in ChatGPT developer OpenAI. This has contributed to a 30% increase in the company’s stock price over the last 12 months.
These moves are part of Microsoft’s broader efforts to infuse its business software portfolio with AI capabilities, seeking to outpace rivals like Google and Salesforce and monetize its investments in AI technology.
