Recently, Microsoft announced that it will introduce a free Microsoft 365 Copilot chat feature in its Office applications. This update is available to all Microsoft 365 business users and covers applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. The new feature will appear as a sidebar, allowing users to write documents, analyze spreadsheets, and more without needing an additional Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Microsoft's Copilot chat feature aims to provide users with a secure AI chat experience. According to Seth Patton, the product marketing general manager of Microsoft 365 Copilot, the Copilot chat can quickly understand the user's current work content and provide targeted answers to meet user needs. In addition, this feature is free and directly available to Microsoft 365 users.
Although the free Copilot chat feature can help users rewrite documents, provide summaries, and create PowerPoint slides, users who choose the $30 per month Microsoft 365 Copilot license will gain more comprehensive integrated features. The advantage of this license is that it is not limited to a single document and can perform reasoning across multiple files, offering greater flexibility.
Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license will also get priority access to features such as file uploads and image generation, using the latest technologies (such as GPT-5), enjoying faster response times, and more stable service during peak usage periods. Earlier this year, Microsoft had already introduced its AI-driven Copilot feature into consumer Microsoft 365 plans, but when launching new features, the subscription price was also increased. However, the launch of the Copilot chat feature for business users did not involve any price adjustments.
Notably, Microsoft also plans to integrate sales, service, and finance Copilots into the Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription in October, which will bring certain pricing advantages to enterprise customers relying on Microsoft's latest AI tools.
Key Points:
- 🆓 The free Copilot chat feature is now available to all Microsoft 365 business users, supporting multiple Office applications.
- 💻 The Copilot chat feature provides customized AI assistance based on the current document content, without additional charges.
- 📊 Users who choose the paid Copilot license will enjoy more powerful features and a better service experience.
