Guest commentary ••• By Christoph Becker
VIENNA. After the redesign, Microsoft Copilot can read screen content, create in-depth analyzes and communicate directly with you. These improvements make the assistant more useful and personal. But what else does the update have to offer?
Copilot’s recent redesign brings a map-based interface – a real win for beginners because it gets you to the desired functions more quickly. The similarity to the AI assistant Pi from Inflection AI is no coincidence. Because Microsoft has taken over some key people from Inflection AI, including Mustafa Suleyman, the new CEO of Microsoft AI. A concrete advance is improved context sensitivity.
In our Excel training courses, we notice that Copilot interprets formulas much more precisely. Feedback from participants shows that this makes them feel more confident working with large data sets. The integration into everyday processes is continually being improved, and you can tell. Copilot now better understands, for example, what type of data in tables is relevant and suggests tailor-made visualizations.
Critical classification is important
Copilot significantly increases productivity, especially for routine tasks such as creating presentations or writing emails. In our training courses, participants often report noticeable time savings. Basically, the decisive advantage of Copilot is its seamless integration into the Microsoft 365 environment. In contrast to GPT-4, which can be used more flexibly, Copilot wins through automation and the important data protection in the familiar environment. This direct embedding allows companies to implement AI-supported automation directly into existing work processes. A significant increase in efficiency can be noticed, particularly when working with Excel tables, creating presentations or writing emails. I would say that Copilot has become more reliable, but there are still situations where incorrect or incomplete answers are given. You should always question the results critically, especially if you have open questions.
New things bring more efficiency
Copilot Voice enables flexible and intuitive interaction. This works well, but still has room for improvement compared to established voice assistants. Many users expect more from voice control because they are already used to higher standards from Siri or Alexa. It is helpful for simple tasks, but often inefficient for more complex requests. Copilot Vision can analyze screen content and offer contextual help. This feature, activated via Microsoft Edge, allows users to ask questions about images and text on web pages.
However, it will be some time before Europeans can benefit from Vision, Voice and Think Deeper.
Was ist „Think Deeper”?
The Think Deeper feature helps solve challenging problems through advanced reasoning models, similar to OpenAI’s o1 model.
Microsoft suggests that it is a customized version of the o1 model. This offers contextual support, which saves time, especially when working with complex documents.
Outlook and potential
The strategic focus on increasing productivity and process optimization makes Copilot a valuable tool for the digital transformation of companies. Microsoft is continually working to improve Copilot and expand its global availability. While some functions still have potential for development, Copilot is already convincing due to its practical use in everyday work.
