Microsoft Updates Consumer Copilot

By Jeffrey Dastin
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has upgraded its consumer Copilot, an AI assistant, providing it with a more friendly voice and the ability to analyze web pages as users browse.

In an interview with Reuters, Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, mentioned that the company has gathered a diverse team of creative directors to enhance Copilot’s tone and style.

In a demonstration, Copilot suggested an olive oil as a housewarming gift for a friend who doesn’t drink wine, responding with, “Italian (olive) oils are the hot stuff right now. Tuscan’s my go-to. Super peppery.”

This rollout, which began on Tuesday, is one of Suleyman’s first initiatives after Microsoft established his division in March to focus on consumer tech products and research.

Although Microsoft is better known for its business applications, it faces challenges in the consumer market; its Bing search engine remains far behind Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL).

Suleyman aims to elevate Copilot’s presence in the saturated AI chatbot market, which includes competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. The enhanced voice capabilities of Copilot make it sound like a more engaging listener, incorporating verbal cues such as “cool” and “huh.”

The underlying technology includes Microsoft AI (MAI) models and resources from partner OpenAI. Suleyman revealed that consumers subscribed to Copilot Pro for $20 monthly can test a new feature called “Think Deeper,” which helps in weighing decisions like relocating.

Another test feature for subscribers, called Copilot Vision, allows users to discuss what they see in the Microsoft Edge browser, ensuring that viewed content is not saved or used to improve AI.

Suleyman described these updates as “glimmers” of AI that could serve as a persistent companion. He intends for Copilot to eventually understand context from users’ Word documents, desktops, and gaming devices, pending user permission.

Suleyman also mentioned that Bill Gates is enthusiastic about these AI advancements and is curious about when Copilot will be able to analyze his emails, stating, “We’re on the case.”