Copilot: Microsoft's new generative AI

2023 saw the emergence of a new technology: generative AI. Classic AI automates specific tasks (classification, problem solving, etc.) while generative AI makes it possible to generate new data, produce new content in the form of text, images or even music, for example, like Copilot. This technology marks a major turning point in how AI impacts the working world.

Since 1 November 2023, Microsoft 365 Copilot has been available to businesses. This generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool promises to make it simple to write text, code, presentations, more quickly and more efficiently. Generative AI Copilot is a revolution for Microsoft 365 users who want to save time and increase creativity in their projects.

On the agenda: 

• How does Copilot generative AI work?
• Copilot use cases
• Controling access, rights and sharing on Microsoft 365

1. How does Copilot generative AI work?

Microsoft 365 Copilot is an artificial intelligence-based productivity solution that integrates Large Language Models (LLM) and draws on different data sources:

• Microsoft Graph, a gateway that provides access to data and information in Microsoft 365 (such as emails, conversations, and user-accessed documents)
• All Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Loop applications
• Internet

Copilot thus offers intelligent real-time assistance, which accelerates user creativity and productivity

Source: Microsoft

2. Copilot use cases

Today, users create and exchange a lot of data via multiple applications and collaborative tools (Microsoft Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, Loop, etc.). But according to Microsoft, 64% of users say they have suffered in recent years from not having enough time and energy to complete their daily work. 

Source: Microsoft

This is where Microsoft 365 Copilot can help.

• Facilitating research and access to information: information sent by email, a chat on Teams, a PowerPoint presentation recorded on SharePoint, notes in Loop, etc. what’s the best way to navigate efficiently? 
  Microsoft 365 Copilot will centralise the information search while providing artificial intelligence.
  For example, if you want to prepare for or plan a meeting, generative AI will search for all associated content (information relating to a project, emails, files, etc.) and create a summary in just a few seconds before generating an agenda from the compiled elements.

• Summarising and contextualising information: Microsoft Copilot offers a feature within Teams called Business Chat. This functionality relies on data generated by each user (chats, emails, notes) and allows users to create summaries of conversations and information.
  For example, you can ask Business Chat to summarise the events of a working day or to provide you with an update on a specific project.

The generative AI tool explores information available across all Microsoft 365 apps to generate feedback, with links to relevant collaborators and/or documents. This saves considerable time.

3. Controlling access, rights and sharing on Microsoft 365