Generative AI uses deep learning to create new content in response to natural language prompts. It can also generate text, images, music, and code. There are several types of AI, each designed for different purposes: Traditional AI - Automates specific tasks using predefined rules and algorithms, often used in manufacturing and data processing. Predictive AI - Analyses historical data to forecast future outcomes, commonly used in finance, healthcare, and marketing. Conversational AI - Powers chatbots and virtual assistants to facilitate natural-language interactions and generate human-like responses. Generative AI is different because it creates content rather than simply analysing or predicting based on existing data.

Copilots are chat-based generative AI interactions from Microsoft. They have specialised functionality based on their users and use cases. Some Copilots are experienced standalone, while others are integrated into Microsoft products, services, and devices. Included in this portfolio are Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Security Copilot, and GitHub Copilot, among other generative AI solutions and experiences.

Microsoft Copilot understands your questions and provides direct answers, assists with writing, and even creates images. For example, Copilot can help you give your resume a quick update, craft a post for social media, or write an email. Microsoft 365 Copilot integrates AI with Microsoft apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. It can assist with tasks like drafting emails, summarising lengthy documents, creating reports from data, and managing your calendar. AI features in Microsoft Teams include real-time transcription, translation services, meeting summaries, and action items following the meeting. With Copilot Studio, you can easily design, test, and publish agents that suit your needs for internal or external scenarios across your industry, department, or role. You can build a standalone agent or publish to Microsoft 365 Copilot. For more customised productivity solutions, Azure offers a suite of tools to help you develop and deploy intelligent applications tailored to your needs.

If you’re looking to use Copilot outside of work, you can start using Microsoft Copilot for free at copilot.microsoft.com or by downloading the Microsoft Copilot app on your mobile device. If you want to use Microsoft 365 Copilot at work, you’ll need to have an existing license for a qualifying Microsoft 365 plan and a license for Microsoft 365 Copilot. If you’re not an existing customer, you need to buy an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription. Additional business and enterprise licenses for GitHub Copilot are available, as well as licensing plans for Microsoft Security Copilot.

You need a qualifying Microsoft 365 plan and a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence. If you only use Copilot outside work, that does not unlock workplace access. Once your organisation has both licences, you can use Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams to draft content, summarise files, analyse data, and support meetings.

Microsoft Copilot remembers details that matter to your daily life while keeping your personal data secure and protecting your privacy. You can always manage your privacy preferences in your Copilot Privacy settings. When you’re using Copilots at work, all your existing security and compliance requirements are inherited, so only people with the right permissions can access the content it generates. As a company, Microsoft is committed to providing trustworthy AI, with decades of research, customer feedback, and learnings informing the capabilities that deliver privacy, safety, and security. Visit Microsoft’s Trust Center Learn about trustworthy AI

Implementing generative AI comes with several considerations, including data security, biases, misinformation, and regulatory compliance. Ensuring the security of sensitive data and managing potential biases in AI-generated content are critical concerns, in addition to challenges related to transparency, accountability, and the potential misuse of AI technologies. Microsoft’s strategy paper, Minimize Risk and Reap the Benefits of AI, provides a comprehensive guide to navigating the challenges and opportunities of using generative AI.

Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated content requires evaluating and monitoring the performance of generative AI models. Microsoft Foundry offers evaluation metrics that assess the quality, safety, and relevance of generated content. Techniques such as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) can also improve accuracy by using sourced data instead of relying solely on the model's training data.

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