Combining Microsoft 365 and ChatGPT Technology

In the world of IT, it seems that one thing has been inescapable recently – ChatGPT. The chatbot has been used for fun, as well as being integrated into the world of work – an avenue that looks to be expanding with the latest announcement from Microsoft.

The AI chatbot arms race is heating up; Google has launched Bard, Meta has Blenderbot, and now Microsoft 365 has announced Copilot.

Copilot uses the same technology as ChatGPT and will be added into Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook. It will work across 365, with functions including:

  • Summaries of the key points in Teams
  • Providing recaps for people who are late or miss meetings
  • Creating PowerPoint presentations from prompts
  • Drafting emails
  • Analysing long email threads and documents
  • Creating summaries and graphs of data on Excel spreadsheets
(Via BBC News – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-64970062)

In their announcement, Microsoft stated that Copilot will not be free from mistakes, however it can “fundamentally change the way we work."

As mentioned, this will not be ChatGPT but rather using the same language-learning model to bring Copilot to life. And whilst the details for when it will be rolled out are yet to be revealed, Copilot could make a big difference to how people work going forward.

“We all want to focus on the 20% of our work that really matters, but 80% of our time is consumed with busy work that bogs us down. Copilot lightens the load."

Microsoft have been investing in OpenAI who, on Tuesday 14th launched GPT4. This is an updated version of the model powering ChatGPT that will have “more advanced reasoning skills.” This does not, of course, completely rule out the possibility of disinformation from the chatbot but is a positive step in its development.

With this announcement of Microsoft 365 and ChatGPT-style technology coming together, there is cause for excitement. Copilot has the potential to revolutionise 365, so it is well worth listening out for the latest updates regarding the roll out date.

It is worth noting that Microsoft recently changed its 365 pricing, so make sure your licenses are up to date so you don’t miss out on any upcoming changes. 

FAQs

Does Microsoft own ChatGPT?

No, however Copilot will use the same technology that is behind ChatGPT.

When is the Copilot roll out date?

The roll out date is yet to be released by Microsoft.