We Tried Out Microsoft’s Copilot to See How It Could Help Us Out With Everyday Tasks

AI chat assistants such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Google’s Gemini are becoming more common in our everyday lives, and such tools are transforming how we work and manage our routines.

Whether juggling work emails, planning your week, or just trying to stay on top of your to-do list, AI tools serve as personal assistants who are always ready to help you tackle your daily tasks, big or small.

We were recently invited to attend an exclusive AI masterclass hosted by Microsoft Malaysia on how its AI chat assistant, Copilot, can help empower everyone and make us all a little more productive.

What is Copilot?

Microsoft calls Copilot “your everyday AI companion.” It is essentially an AI chat interface similar to ChatGPT and Gemini which lets you search for specific information, generate text such as emails and summaries, and create images based on text prompts you write.

There are currently three versions of Copilot, including the following:

• Free Microsoft Copilot: This service is available to anyone using Windows, Microsoft Edge, or the Bing website. It is suitable for general users and small businesses that do not require highly specific or detailed responses.
• Copilot Pro: Aimed at power users and offers faster response times than the free version. It also includes Image Creator from Designer, which costs RM98 per user per month.
• Copilot 365: Available as an add-on for the Office apps in Microsoft 365 (supporting Business Standard, Premium, and Enterprise plans). It draws on an organisation’s data and other internal sources to provide specific and detailed answers. The cost is RM31 per user per month.

Some of the features that Copilot can perform include helping you brainstorm ideas, summarise complex issues, create content, keep you organised, and more. All you have to do is ask Copilot questions in a conversational, natural language style.

Meanwhile, with Copilot 36, users can generate text, summarise a document, and turn text into data tables, all in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Users can also use Copilot in Microsoft Teams to provide summaries and recap meetings, reviewing key points and action items.

Our experience with Copilot

We haven’t had the most extensive experience with Copilot since it is considered pretty new in the world of AI chat assistants. So, we jumped on the chance to learn firsthand through Microsoft Malaysia's AI masterclass.

One of the first things we were informed of was that Copilot is not autopilot and that you shouldn’t expect it to do all the work for you. As its name suggests, you should instead utilise Copilot as your very own personal assistant who will help you with your tasks but not without your guidance.

During the AI masterclass, we were shown a couple of ways in which users can utilise Copilot to help you to reduce your daily workload.

One way is to use Copilot to help you draft emails. With Copilot, you can create a template email in your chosen tone and simply fill in the relevant spaces.

Another cool way you can use Copilot is to make it plan your trips abroad for you. All you’d need to do is give it details on where you’re going and what sort of places you’d like to visit. We decided to use it to plan our (imaginary) trip to New York.

Meanwhile, home chefs struggling to think of recipes can also use Copilot to help come up with recipes simply based on the type of ingredients you already have at home.

Lastly, we were also guided on how users could use Copilot to plan various events such as brithday parties and gatherings. Again, all you need to do is to provide it with some basic information about the event.

What makes Copilot different from others?

Instead of racking our brain to explain what makes Copilot different and more unique than other AI chat assistants, we decided to put Copilot to the test by making it explain itself.

According to Copilot, some of the features that make it more unique than others includes:

• Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Copilot is deeply integrated with Microsoft products like Office 365, Teams, and more. This allows it to assist with a wide range of productivity tasks, from drafting emails to creating presentations.
• Advanced Capabilities: Copilot can handle complex tasks such as summarising documents, generating images, and even running Python code for data analysis.
• Empathetic and Adaptable: Copilot is designed to be empathetic and adaptable, meaning it can adjust its responses based on the user’s needs and preferences.
• Continuous Learning: Copilot is built on the GPT-4 architecture, which means it continuously learns and improves over time. This ensures that it stays up-to-date with the latest information and can provide accurate and relevant responses.
• Safety and Compliance: Copilot adheres to strict safety guidelines to ensure that the information provided is accurate and that user interactions are secure and respectful.

Our verdict

In a nutshell, Microsoft’s Copilot is like having a personalised assistant right at your fingertips. Whether you need help drafting emails, putting together presentations, or managing your schedule, Copilot’s got you covered.

It’s seamlessly integrated with Microsoft tools, making your daily tasks a breeze. Plus, it’s smart, learns as it goes, and adapts to your needs so that you can save time and focus on what really matters.

One thing we love about Copilot is how it provides references along with its responses making it easy for users to double check where it got its information from to ensure the content is accurate.

Find out more about Copilot here.

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Featured Image Credit: Provided to Rojak Daily