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What Is Copilot? Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft’s AI Tools

2026-09-17 | original
read original get Microsoft Surface Laptop (Copilot+ PC) → more articles
Why This Matters

Microsoft's Copilot branding has expanded across nearly every product in its ecosystem, from Windows and Office to dedicated AI laptops, making it central to the company's AI strategy following its massive investment in OpenAI. This matters because it signals how deeply generative AI is being woven into everyday computing tools, though the sprawling branding can confuse consumers about what Copilot actually does across different apps and devices.

Key Takeaways
Worth a Look

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Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT launched in November 2022, tech companies have poured billions of dollars into generative AI. Microsoft joined forces with OpenAI for a multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment. One of the results of this partnership was the creation of Microsoft’s own AI tool, Copilot.

If you’ve spotted Copilot in Windows, then opened Word and found it there too, you might wonder whether they’re the same thing. Microsoft certainly gets its mileage out of the name.

Copilot launched in 2023 as a successor to Bing Chat – which, in a way, evolved from Cortana, though it used a different underlying technology. But you get my point. Microsoft’s virtual assistants have had a long evolution.

Microsoft did have a couple of false starts with AI, though, like its Recall feature, which was quickly dropped from the Copilot Plus PC launch before eventually reaching those computers in April 2025.

So, what exactly is Microsoft Copilot? It’s an AI assistant, a chatbot, an app and increasingly an agent that can carry out tasks for you. The umbrella term Copilot can be a bit confusing, so let’s explore what it means in its applications and how you can use it.

The branding breakdown

Copilot is Microsoft’s branding for various AI-powered tools embedded across its ecosystem, including in Windows, Edge, Bing, Microsoft 365 (all the Office apps), Teams, GitHub and security tools. You can also download the Copilot app on your iOS, Android and Mac devices, or use it in a web browser.

Microsoft has begun bringing its personal and work experiences together. Its updated Copilot app became available in August 2026. The app previously called Microsoft 365 Copilot is now called Microsoft Copilot, with features that depend on your account and subscription.

The branding has also expanded to PCs as Microsoft rolled out an AI laptop, Copilot Plus PC. Many newer Windows laptops come with a dedicated Copilot key that lets you jump straight into your AI assistant with one press on a keyboard. But you don’t need a Copilot Plus PC to use the chatbot.

How Microsoft Copilot works

... continue reading

Explore topics: copilot microsoft openai chatgpt windows
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