Microsoft enhances AI features in Microsoft 365 Copilot

Microsoft is expanding its Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, priced at $30 per user, with new AI-driven features designed to enhance Office apps.

Excel users can now leverage Python integration to perform advanced data analysis without coding, using natural language through Copilot.

This allows tasks like forecasting, risk analysis, and machine learning to be more accessible. The Copilot feature now supports Excel’s XLOOKUP, SUMIF, and chart creation tools as well.

In PowerPoint, Copilot introduces an improved narrative builder for generating slide decks and can utilize company-branded templates. Microsoft Teams will soon enable Copilot to summarize both text chats and spoken conversations from meetings, helping organizers track unanswered questions.

A notable update for Outlook includes the ability to prioritize emails, where users can teach Copilot to highlight key topics, people, or keywords, marking related emails as high priority.

In Word, Copilot will soon reference data from emails and meetings, streamlining document creation with attachments and talking points.

Microsoft is also introducing AI agents and a Copilot Pages feature to automate routine tasks. Despite early concerns about bugs and the $30 price tag, Microsoft reports strong adoption, with 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies using Copilot. Vodafone recently signed up for 68,000 licenses after a successful trial with its 100,000 employees.

These upgrades are part of Microsoft’s push to make AI indispensable in business environments, improving productivity and collaboration across its suite of Office apps.