Microsoft’s multiple Copilot products, akin to a pilot and copilot in an aircraft, aim to assist users in navigating various tasks. Tey Bannerman, a former partner at McKinsey, has unveiled that there are 78 distinct Copilot offerings spread across Microsoft’s ecosystem, far exceeding the typical expectation of just one assistant.
Bannerman has published a detailed chart on his website that categorizes all 78 Copilot products. This chart showcases a variety of applications, features, and platforms along with the dedicated Copilot key found on some laptops, as well as the entire Copilot Plus range of PCs.
What is Microsoft Copilot?
Copilot serves as Microsoft’s AI-driven assistant, harnessing advanced AI models like OpenAI’s GPT to aid users with a range of tasks. It comes pre-installed in Windows 11, with select newer devices featuring a specialized Copilot Plus button on the keyboard.
Tey Bannerman expressed his frustration at the lack of a comprehensive list of Copilot products, noting, “I went looking for the full list. No single source had all of them. Not even Microsoft’s own website or documentation.”
To compile this extensive list, Bannerman engaged in thorough research, scouring various announcements and product pages to catalog each Microsoft Copilot offering. He mentioned, “So I pieced it together from product pages, launch announcements, and marketing materials.”
While 78 Copilot products may appear bewildering to users, there seems to be a method behind this complexity.
How does Copilot work?
According to Bannerman’s chart, there’s considerable overlap among Copilot offerings. For instance, while one might encounter the Microsoft 365 Copilot aimed at enterprises, it branches out into numerous specific Copilot instances for various applications such as Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Similarly, consumer-focused Copilots are divided among Windows, Paint, File Explorer, and other tools. This tiered approach may lead to confusion, but there’s more to consider.
Without delving too deeply, Microsoft utilizes the term “Copilot” as an overarching label for its various AI products, including those designed for Azure, its cloud platform, and GitHub, its developer platform.
Is this strategy working?
Employing a single term for such a vast array of AI tools can confuse users, yet it may also simplify the identification process of an AI tool from Microsoft.
A recent Bloomberg report quoted Microsoft CEO Judson Althoff, who remarked during an internal meeting that the company had reached “some pretty big audacious goals” in terms of selling Copilot products last quarter. To put this into context, Microsoft reported earlier this year that only about 3 percent of its customers were utilizing Copilot services.
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