Microsoft 365 Expands Copilot AI Toolset and Opens up to More Enterprise Users

Microsoft is expanding Copilot with a paid early access program for select Enterprise accounts, along with several new capabilities and tools.

Copilot, Microsoft's AI toolset, is rolling out a new invitation-only paid preview for Microsoft 365 Enterprise users, but it's not stopping there. The toolset is also receiving a new index for faster searching and expanded functionality across various Microsoft 365 services.

A new Semantic Index—specifically for Microsoft 365 E3 and E5—is being added to make searching through years worth of company data easier. As per an example provided by Microsoft, this would mean typing in terms like "March Sales Report" and receiving results that go beyond simple term searches. Instead, Copilot will determine your intent and know that "sales reports are produced by Kelly on the finance team and created in Excel."

Outside of indexes, Copilot is also coming to Whiteboard and will be able to create, enhance, or summarize the various ideas and themes in your Teams meetings. PowerPoint will also use Copilot (incorporated with DALL-E) to produce "custom" images for projects.

Outlook will utilize Copilot to provide suggestions for composing more effective emails, while OneNote will be able to create and organize your information using text prompts. It will also be able to provide quick summaries of entire pages in Loop, as well as offer a "natural language" interface for scheduling and researching in Viva Learning.

Currently, only Microsoft 365 Enterprise accounts that are selected will have the option of trying out Copilot's new features—and initially limited to 600 accounts worldwide. Microsoft has not yet indicated when it might receive a general public release.