Microsoft Unveils Exciting Wave 2 Updates for Copilot in Microsoft 365
Exciting news from Microsoft as they announce the expansion of their AI offerings in 365 Copilot Wave 2 throughout the fall. During a series of demonstrations on Sept. 16, Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of AI at Work, declared that “Copilot is the new UI for AI.” This shift towards a more intuitive and user-friendly interface for AI applications marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Microsoft’s AI capabilities.
The highlight of the presentation was the integration of OpenAI’s powerful GPT-4o language model into Copilot. Microsoft has ambitious plans to further enhance Copilot with the new OpenAI o1 model in the future, according to Spataro.
With 400 million users currently utilizing Copilot and a rapidly growing user base, Microsoft boasts the fastest adoption rate in the Microsoft 365 suite, with a doubling of daily users quarter-over-quarter.
Leading the Way: Copilot’s Expansion Across Microsoft 365
The latest features and capabilities introduced in Copilot Wave 2 include:
- Copilot Pages, bridging the gap between browser-based Copilot search and an online canvas.
- Enhanced Copilot integration in Excel, offering features like XLOOKUP and PivotTables.
- Introduction of Copilot in Excel with Python coding support.
- Narrative builder in PowerPoint to generate initial drafts of presentations based on prompts.
- Brand manager in PowerPoint for seamless integration of Copilot within brand templates.
- Copilot integration in Teams, providing access to meeting chats and audio functionality.
- Improved Copilot features in Word, enabling the AI to extract information from external files and offer floating prompt boxes within documents.
- Integration of Copilot in OneDrive for document queries and file comparisons.
- Introduction of Copilot agents in Microsoft Business Chat and SharePoint to automate various business processes.
Excitingly, the rollout of Copilot Pages is expected later in September, with access for users of the free Microsoft Copilot who sign in with a Microsoft Entra account. Additionally, Copilot in Excel with Python is currently in public preview, while Copilot in Teams is already available. The “Prioritize my inbox” feature with Copilot in Outlook and Copilot in OneDrive will launch by the end of the month.
Another noteworthy development is the introduction of an agent builder in Business Chat in the coming weeks, with agents and the agent builder set to debut in SharePoint in preview by early October.
SEE: Copilot has become deeply intertwined with Microsoft’s search engine Bing.
In her presentation, Microsoft Office AI Product Manager Hadley Griffin emphasized the importance of treating AI-generated PowerPoint presentations as starting points or initial drafts. While Copilot can assist with tasks like adding speaker notes and animations, Griffin stressed the collaborative nature of leveraging AI to enhance human work rather than replace it entirely.
“Now, you’re ready to iterate with Copilot as your partner,” she said.
The Future of Application Interaction: ‘UI for AI’
Spataro’s vision for a seamless interaction with AI applications was vividly demonstrated with new prompts in Microsoft Word. The demonstration showcased how AI prompts can now add charts directly to documents, with a dialogue box hovering within the document for easy insertion of images, charts, and text. This new feature highlights the flexibility and automation brought by AI agents in enhancing user experience.
Despite the promising advancements in generative AI like Copilot, some companies still face challenges in defining clear goals or realizing ROI from their AI initiatives.