Alex Omenye

Microsoft has announced the expansion of its Copilot AI features to individual consumers within the Microsoft 365 suite, following the launch of similar on-demand AI agents for businesses earlier this week.

Starting soon, customers will have the option to choose between a Microsoft 365 subscription plan with Copilot AI features or one without. This change comes with a $3 price increase for subscription plans in the U.S.

The Copilot AI will be integrated into popular apps like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, and Designer. It is designed to assist users with various tasks, but usage will be capped by monthly credits, which Microsoft says will meet the needs of most users.

Acknowledging the sensitivity of certain scenarios, Microsoft has included options to enable or disable Copilot AI features, particularly for academic contexts such as exams and submissions. Furthermore, the company assured users that inputted prompts will not be used to train its AI models, addressing privacy concerns.

Microsoft’s push to integrate AI into its services is part of a larger strategy, underpinned by its significant investment in OpenAI and plans to allocate approximately $80 billion this fiscal year to data centers and AI infrastructure. These moves come amid scrutiny regarding the adoption of Copilot AI, following a Gartner report last year that questioned its practical value.