Microsoft Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Copilot Chat is now integrated into Microsoft 365. Chat is available in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. But you'll need a Microsoft 365 business account. You're working on a Word document or PowerPoint presentation and you want to discuss certain questions or ideas with an AI chatbot. That's the goal behind the new Copilot Chat integration in Microsoft 365. In a Monday blog post, Seth Patton, general manager for Microsoft 365 Copilot product marketing, announced that the chat feature is now built into Microsoft 365 apps, letting you tap into Copilot as a personal assistant. Available in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, Copilot Chat is designed to answer your questions, help you create content, bounce around ideas, and automate specific tasks. Triggering the Copilot icon on the Ribbon in a supported Microsoft 365 application launches Copilot Chat in the right sidebar. After the AI asks how it can help, you just submit your question, request, or command at the prompt, and Copilot will respond. You can then kick off a back-and-forth conversation if you want to further explore your question or request. Also: 7 Copilot tricks to supercharge your classic Outlook - even if they're not for me Copilot Chat is content-aware aware so it "sees" your current document, spreadsheet, or presentation. If you need to reference another file, you don't need to upload it. Just type / at the prompt to search for the file you want. Copilot will also suggest the most recent and relevant files so that you can more quickly incorporate them. Plus, you're able to upload multiple images in Copilot Chat to use or share them visually. The input box gives you ample room for your conversation, so you won't have to scroll up and down in a tiny window. Other AI perks include access to the interactive Pages canvas, image generation, and AI agents. Copilot Chat also now uses GPT-5 so you'll be working with the latest model. A few caveats Sounds helpful. Ah, but there are a couple of catches. First, Copilot Chat is available only with Microsoft 365 business subscriptions. A Microsoft page on Copilot Chat lists which plans are required, such as Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium. Second, the basic Copilot Chat is free for business accounts, but certain advanced features require a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. With this plan, you can work with all your files, emails, meetings, chats, and other content, not just the item that's currently open. A Copilot subscription also lets you search across all your work data and projects and includes an AI graphic design studio called Create to help you devise images and videos. Also: Copilot's new File Explorer tricks are serious OneDrive time-savers - how to try them Also, the AI agents available with Microsoft 365 Copilot offer more advanced reasoning, Patton said. For example, you can access the Researcher and Analyst agents in Copilot to help you analyze your data and explore different ideas. Copilot Chat sounds like a useful feature. I wish it were available for personal Microsoft 365 accounts so I could try it out. Maybe if it's a hit in the business world, the company will expand its use to other types of Microsoft 365 accounts. Want to follow my work? Add ZDNET as a trusted source on Google. Featured