Microsoft announced on Tuesday that small businesses can subscribe to its Copilot virtual assistant within the company's productivity apps, and consumers who pay for the Microsoft 365 software can now access a new paid version of Copilot.
The Microsoft updates aim to introduce more customers to generative artificial intelligence, a technology popularized by OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot last year that can create natural-sounding text based on a brief written command and assist Microsoft in offsetting the expenses of constructing the data center infrastructure required for AI.
Microsoft Capitalizing on Generative AI
Investors are optimistic about Microsoft capitalizing on generative AI in operating systems, cloud, productivity, web search, and security despite competition from Amazon and Google. Microsoft regained the title of "the most valuable publicly traded company," surpassing Apple last week.
Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, has recently emphasized AI's stand in the company's identity. During Microsoft's Ignite conference in Seattle last November, Nadella stated, "Our vision is pretty straightforward. We are the Copilot company."
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Introduction of Copilot for Microsoft 365
Microsoft introduced Copilot for Microsoft 365, drawing on OpenAI's extensive language models. Large companies got access in November, while faculty and staff at educational institutions received it in December, costing $30 per person monthly on top of existing subscription costs.
Now, small businesses subscribed to Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Business Standard can enroll up to 299 licenses at $30 per person monthly, as mentioned by Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's head of Windows and Surface. Moreover, Microsoft has been eliminating the 300-seat minimum for commercial plans since November and now allows Copilot for those with Office 365 E3 or E5, priced lower than full Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Copilot Pro Add-on at $20 Monthly
Individuals interested in Copilot have accessed it for free through the Bing search engine and copilot.microsoft.com. However, individuals paying for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions were previously unable to use it in apps like Word, Excel, and Outlook. Starting Tuesday, individuals can now subscribe to the new Copilot Pro add-on at $20 per person monthly and receive priority access to the latest models with OpenAI's GPT-4 Turbo, according to MedhiUsers can use the advanced model during peak times, switch between models, and design custom chatbots using a Copilot GPT Builder tool, which will be released soon. According to Medhi, Copilot Pro enhances performance, productivity, and creativity for writing, coding, designing, researching, and learning tasks.
Copilot will uniquely integrate web context, work data, and current PC activities to offer improved assistance, prioritizing privacy and security. It will be an uncomplicated and seamless experience accessible on Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and Edge and Bing browsers, which can function as an app or appear when needed with a right-click. More capabilities and connections will be added to Copilot across Microsoft's widely-used applications, aligning with a unified vision of customers' experience.
