Copilot has modified fairly a bit for the reason that begin of this yr. Not solely does the bot have an official app, however now anybody with a Microsoft 365 account can entry Copilot in apps like Phrase, PowerPoint, and Excel. Earlier than, it was unique to enterprise customers.
When you have Microsoft 365 and Copilot Professional, or your organization makes use of this suite of instruments, there are some new Copilot options you’ll be able to entry proper now. Microsoft introduced a listing of 14 new Copilot options rolling out this month, however seven of these actually apply to admins and administration. For the remainder of us, the opposite seven are key new options to look out for:
You’ll be able to generate pictures immediately in Phrase and Powerpoint paperwork
This month, each Phrase and Powerpoint will allow you to generate pictures and seek for inventory pictures utilizing Copilot through Microsoft Designer. In the event you immediate Copilot to generate you a picture, it’ll create and current the same old sequence of choices, which you’ll be able to select from to insert into your doc. When utilizing the characteristic in Powerpoint, Designer will incorporate it in a “compelling slide design.”
Credit score: Microsoft
Reference PDFs, emails, and conferences in Phrase
Beginning final month, Microsoft rolled out the flexibility to reference PDFs and encrypted Phrase docs utilizing Copilot in Phrase. This month, the corporate may also add the flexibility to reference Microsoft Cloud information, which incorporates your emails and conferences. These updates add on to the information varieties you may reference beforehand, together with Phrase and PowerPoint recordsdata.
Going ahead, it is possible for you to to drag these recordsdata varieties into your prompts with Copilot in Phrase. In the event you name on Copilot and ask it to put in writing you a mission proposal, you’ll be able to have Copilot base it on considered one of these recordsdata from an expanded menu. In the event you mentioned the mission in depth in a gathering, or if the notes are specified by a PDF, Copilot will have the ability to analyze that doc or file and generate a report from it.
Credit score: Microsoft
Expanded assist for creating PowerPoint shows from PDFs and encrypted Phrase recordsdata
Equally, Microsoft rolled out the flexibility to create PowerPoint shows from new PDF and Phrase file varieties in June. You too can reference Phrase docs and PowerPoint shows in PowerPoint itself.
Nonetheless you create a PowerPoint presentation with Copilot, it is best to discover three key enhancements to how the AI handles the PowerPoint doc, together with improved titles, sections, and slides; presentation constructions with slides on your agenda, sections, and conclusion; and new transitions and animations.
As well as, PowerPoint chat can reply questions utilizing Microsoft cloud, Microsoft Graph, and Bing.
New options in Excel
Microsoft introduced three new Copilot options for Excel, all of that are rolling out this month:
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Copilot now works with knowledge ranges “resembling tables” with headers alongside a single row. Microsoft says that is extra environment friendly than earlier than, as you will not must format knowledge earlier than calling in Copilot.
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The edit field is on the market regardless of which cell you may have chosen, so you should use Copilot while not having to fret about the place you’re in your spreadsheet.
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Copilot will likely be extra conversational with its responses to questions on Excel knowledge, together with providing step-by-step directions for sure duties.
Credit score: Microsoft
Copilot in Groups
Have you learnt who you are chatting with at work? It’s possible you’ll assume you do, however the extra AI options take over our work packages, the much less it’s possible you’ll be interacting with an actual human being.
A brand new Groups options rolling out proper now could be Copilot integration in Groups chats and channels. After typing out your message, you’ll be able to immediate Copilot to regulate your phrases in any approach you need. Microsoft suggests prompts like “add a name to motion,” “make it persuasive,” or “convert my message into a listing and add inclusive language.”
You would possibly assume your boss despatched the staff a hand-written message, or that you just’re having a enjoyable chat with a coworker. However, for all , they used Copilot to vary their phrases. It’s possible you’ll, in truth, be chatting with an LLM.
In the event you’re utilizing Copilot to put in writing a joke on your coworkers, please do not.
Credit score: Microsoft
Copilot allows you to rewrite content material in SharePoint
Copilot rewriting has come to SharePoint: In the event you use the app to create web sites on your group, you’ll use acquainted Copilot instruments to rewrite textual content. It does not look like there’s something significantly progressive right here, thoughts you. It looks like these are the same old rewriting instruments you’d anticipate from generative AI. Nonetheless, now you should use them immediately in SharePoint. That is rolling out this month.
Copilot in Loop
Loop is Microsoft’s collaborative workspace app, permitting staff members to work collectively on a mission in actual time. Whereas you can begin a mission from scratch with a clean canvas or from a template, Microsoft desires you to make use of Copilot to generate a “structured doc prepared for staff collaboration.” In the event you use Loop, you’ll be able to attempt asking Copilot to arrange your workspace based mostly on no matter parameters you want. Microsoft launched this characteristic in Might.
Credit score: Microsoft
