Microsoft's Copilot AI service set to revolutionize user interaction

Microsoft's Copilot AI service set to revolutionize user interaction
08 May 2024

Microsoft is set to transform user interaction with generative AI, by introducing innovative features to its Copilot service for Microsoft 365.

The tech giant aims to convert every user into a 'prompt engineer' through an auto-complete feature that suggests improvements to AI prompts.

This new feature, capable of enriching prompts with additional details, is designed to enhance the final output of generated content or questions posed.

How does 'Elaborate your prompt' feature work?
User empowerment

Jared Spataro, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of AI at Work, explained in a blog post how the new "elaborate your prompt" feature will revamp prompts created by users.

He stated, "With its new rewrite feature, Copilot turns a basic prompt into a rich one with the click of a button."

This tool is specifically designed to assist users who want Copilot to act on a file, but are unsure about the level of detail required for an effective prompt.

Microsoft to introduce 'Catch Up' chat interface in Copilot
Enhanced communication

In addition to the prompt enhancement feature, Microsoft plans to launch a "Catch Up" chat interface in Copilot for Microsoft 365.

This interface will highlight upcoming meetings, and provide relevant documents and information to aid users in their preparation.

Furthermore, subscribers will have the chance to create, publish, and manage prompts in Copilot Lab, that can be customized for individual business teams, streamlining the process of sharing useful prompts among colleagues.

Microsoft's Work Trend Index report highlights AI utilization
Adoption

These updates were announced alongside Microsoft's latest annual Work Trend Index report, co-authored with LinkedIn.

The report surveyed 31,000 individuals across 31 nations, and analyzed hiring trends on LinkedIn and data from Microsoft 365, to provide insights on AI utilization in businesses.

Spataro noted that, "as AI becomes ubiquitous in the workplace, employees and businesses alike are under extreme pressure."

Rise of the 'AI power user' in the workplace
AI integration

The report also highlighted that 78% of AI users bring their own AI tools to work, instead of waiting for their organizations to implement them.

It identified a new type of worker, the "AI power user," who has adopted AI to save time at work.

Spataro added, "Compared to skeptics, AI power users have reoriented their workdays in fundamental ways, reimagining business processes and saving over 30 minutes per day."