Microsoft rolls out Copilot Chat to Microsoft 365 Office apps

What’s new: Microsoft is rolling out Copilot Chat to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote for Microsoft 365 business customers. This AI-powered chat feature allows users to access web-based AI agents and is included at no additional cost for eligible Microsoft 365 users. However, it only utilizes web data, unlike the full Microsoft 365 Copilot, which can access organizational content. Starting next month, Microsoft will also begin automatically installing the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on Windows devices outside the EEA region.

Who’s affected

Microsoft 365 business customers with Entra accounts, Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Business, Microsoft Teams, and Office 365 licenses will have access to Copilot Chat. IT administrators managing Microsoft 365 app deployments can opt out of the automatic installation of the Copilot app.

What to do

• Review the eligibility of your Microsoft 365 licenses for Copilot Chat access.
• Consider whether to grant Copilot Chat access to all organizational data by obtaining a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
• Check the Apps Admin Center for options regarding the automatic installation of the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.

Sources

• BleepingComputer