By Alex Smith |
Microsoft has introduced a new version of Copilot with three capabilities – Home, Code and Autopilot – designed to support different types of work within the Copilot app. Home and Code will begin rolling out through Microsoft's Frontier programme in the coming weeks, while Autopilot is expanding to private preview at the end of September.
Home provides a new starting point for Copilot, bringing Chat and Cowork together and incorporating Word, Excel and PowerPoint through Office in Copilot. Users can review recent activity, receive suggestions and continue previous work, while Cowork is designed for tasks that can be delegated and completed end-to-end.
Office in Copilot allows users to create and update editable Word documents, Excel workbooks and PowerPoint presentations directly within the Copilot experience. The work remains synchronised with the corresponding Microsoft 365 applications, allowing users and colleagues to make changes across the different environments.
Home will bring Chat and Cowork together and incorporate Word, Excel and PowerPoint (Image: Microsoft)
Code extends Copilot's capabilities into the creation of purpose-built applications and workflows. Users can describe an app, tracker, dashboard, automation or workflow in natural language, with Copilot selecting an approach and building the solution.
Code is powered by the same underlying technology as GitHub Copilot and runs in a sandboxed environment. Solutions can be hosted securely within an organisation's Microsoft 365 tenant, with Microsoft IQ providing business context and plugins synchronising automatically. Code will begin rolling out to Frontier at the end of September and will be available in preview to Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro subscribers later this year.
Code is powered by the same underlying technology as GitHub Copilot (Image: Microsoft)
Microsoft is also introducing Copilot Managed Runtime, a hosting infrastructure for running code within a company's Microsoft 365 environment. The service is governed by IT and can be used to share applications with colleagues, connect them to live data and provide access across locations. It is currently in preview and will also be available through Code.
Autopilot, previously known as Scout, is designed as a persistent AI agent that can continue working without requiring a new prompt. Users can assign it a role and objective, after which it can monitor channels, follow up on conversations and carry out recurring tasks.
The agent has its own identity, memory, computer and workspace within an organisation's tenant. It can operate across Teams, Outlook, chats, channels and documents, with permissions, auditing and governance controls applied through the organisation's existing environment.
Autopilot, previously known as Scout, is designed as a persistent AI agent (Image: Microsoft)
Microsoft is also expanding the business data available to Copilot through Microsoft IQ. Fabric IQ brings data from Power BI's semantic models into Copilot, while integration with Dynamics 365 and Power Platform is rolling out in public preview.
A new plugin registry will provide a unified catalogue for Microsoft, partner and custom-built plugins. IT teams will be able to approve and manage plugins centrally, while developers and partners can publish capabilities across supported Copilot experiences.
The company said further Copilot capabilities are planned, including Today, a personalised command centre that will bring together information from email, calendars, Teams conversations, meetings and tasks. Today is due to enter private preview in October, while an updated @Copilot capability for Teams is expected to enter private preview by the end of September.