Microsoft 365 Copilot: What Can Microsoft's New Innovation Do?
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ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot: Is the Revolution of the Working World Coming Now?
Revolutionary innovations mark the history of mankind. From the invention of the steam engine to the release of the smartphone - technological advances are changing our work processes and how we live. But by no means all innovations have the groundbreaking effect they are predicted to have. A recent example: Google Glasses.
At this point, the question arises as to which of these divisions artificial intelligence (AI) belongs. Will it catapult us to the next evolutionary stage of industrialization, like the steam engine, or fail at critical points? Comprehensive AI integrations into complex work processes and programs will answer this question sooner or later. A system that makes such integration possible was released in early 2023: Microsoft 365 Copilot.
What Is Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Copilot is an AI-powered tool from Microsoft. The AI is integrated directly into Microsoft 365 applications and apps as a "Copilot", i.e. as an assistant. The highlight: The AI works on the basis of Large Language Models (LLMs) in combination with Microsoft Graph data and Microsoft 365 apps. You can control the "Copilot" for Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and PowerPoint using simple voice commands.
For example, do you want a summary of a meeting in Teams or your mail traffic with a certain person? Then tell Microsoft Copilot exactly that and your command will be executed. Even though the system is still in its early stages, the applications and functions are versatile and the benefits for users are extensive.
Do you want to integrate artificial intelligence into your company's processes? We can support you in this.
What Are the Implications of Tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot for Everyday Work?
Will one employee take over the tasks of an entire department in the future and only deal with the distribution of tasks to the AI and the acceptance of the results while former employees stand in line at job centers? Probably not. Instead, the "Microsoft Copilot" will take over the part of the work that is less related to an employee's skills and knowledge. Repetitive, tedious, and, above all, simple tasks can be completed much more quickly.
Hard to imagine? We'll show below how Microsoft 365 Copilot can help with specific tasks.
Outlook
Many contents of e-mail communication are the same every time: there is a greeting, a reply, a question or an update, and closing words. Microsoft Copilot also knows this recurring structure.
That's why commands like: "Write to Mr. XY that I have been waiting for an answer to the offer for weeks and that he should finally say whether he wants to or not - in nice words, but with emphasis" are no problem for Microsoft Copilot. Within seconds, the assistant creates a suitable mail for you, you read over it once, correct minor details, and send it.
PowerPoint
Companies define colors, fonts, logos, and designs for their corporate identity. In addition, there are precise internal ideas regarding the design of slides and presentations. With the correct voice command, Microsoft 365 Copilot picks this information up and puts your instructions and ideas into practice in PowerPoint. For example, sales must be shown in bar charts, the distribution among the business units in pie charts, and the slides should have little text. What would otherwise have costed you hours of work can be done much more quickly and easily.
Excel and Word
A similar picture emerges with Excel and Word. For example, tell Microsoft Copilot, "Create an overview of quarterly figures, highlight irregular variances in color, and use bar charts to visualize the data," and it will do just that.
Working with Word documents is even easier for the system. As a rule, the commands here refer only to the creation of texts or the formatting of documents.
Since Microsoft Copilot has not been on the market for long, it remains to be seen to what extent the individual functions of the system will lead to more productivity. As your IT partner for digital transformation and a long-standing Microsoft partner, you can be assured that we will follow the new developments with great interest and continue to provide you with reliable first-hand information.
What to Expect - A Look into the Future
Over the years, AI has advanced significantly in many areas, such as image and speech recognition, automation and data analysis, and image generation. Based on current facts, a "flop" of systems like Microsoft Copilot is not realistic in the future. These indications suggest that:
Of course, these points are only indicators of the future viability of comprehensive AI systems like Microsoft 365 Copilot. Looking at the already existing benefits of AI in everyday work, even greater ones are to be expected.
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