Microsoft reshapes Copilot into an AI platform for work and home
Microsoft is reshaping Copilot into an “OS for work”, combining consumer and business experiences and adding coding, Office and AI agent features. CEO Satya Nadella is betting that the assistant can change workplace habits as profoundly as Microsoft Office did, while making it useful and appealing enough for both home and work.
The redesigned app has separate tabs for chat, coding and Autopilot, the cloud-based agent that replaces the desktop-focused Scout project, now in maintenance mode. Microsoft reportedly considered naming the agent Mico, but chose Autopilot partly to give it a more enterprise-friendly identity; the Scout name also raised legal concerns because Yahoo uses similar branding. Nadella says organisations need control over their AI systems and must protect their core information, amid concerns about agents’ security and difficulty deploying them in businesses.
- Microsoft is combining consumer and business Copilot into one app.
- The redesign adds coding tools, Office features and the Autopilot agent.
- Nadella says businesses need control and safeguards as AI agents spread.
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Copilot is Microsoft's artificial intelligence assistant, created to help users complete tasks more quickly and efficiently. Until now, it has mainly been a consumer tool, but Microsoft is redesigning it to serve both personal and professional needs, integrating it more closely with its business software.
Microsoft sees an opportunity for AI to transform work habits as fundamentally as its Office software did decades ago. The company believes that making AI more woven into the tools people already use for work could make it useful for both home and office use.
Companies are increasingly interested in AI tools to boost productivity, but they worry about protecting their sensitive information when using new technology. Microsoft is positioning Copilot as a system where businesses can maintain proper control and security, addressing concerns many organisations have about adopting AI.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Inside Microsoft’s big Copilot rethink”.