Microsoft is adding a free Copilot Chat sidebar to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote for all Microsoft 365 business users. The assistant is 'content aware' of the open file (summarizing, rewriting, slide drafting) while a paid tier still reasons over broader work data. This shifts AI from an optional add‑on to a baseline workplace tool, akin to spellcheck.
— Default, no‑cost AI in ubiquitous productivity apps will reset norms for work quality, privacy, compliance, and performance measurement across sectors.
Janakee Chavda
2025.10.15
62% relevant
Pew’s finding that ~20% of U.S. workers now use AI at work—up from last year—supports the thesis that AI is moving from optional add‑on to routine workplace tool, aligning with Microsoft’s push to make Copilot a default feature.
msmash
2025.10.10
78% relevant
Meta’s VP of Metaverse (Vishal Shah) told staff to integrate AI into 'every major codebase and workflow' and urged even PMs/designers to prototype and fix bugs with AI, mirroring the trend of AI becoming a default workplace tool rather than an optional add‑on.
msmash
2025.09.29
88% relevant
The article reports Microsoft’s new Agent Mode in Excel/Word and an Office Agent in Copilot chat (using Anthropic and GPT‑5) that plan and execute document/spreadsheet creation from prompts—advancing the shift toward AI as a standard feature in productivity suites.
msmash
2025.09.19
78% relevant
Microsoft is extending Copilot from general Office apps to Teams by adding persistent facilitator and channel agents that draft agendas, take notes, track time, and answer questions, advancing the shift toward AI as the standard layer in daily workflows.
msmash
2025.09.15
100% relevant
Microsoft’s Seth Patton: 'And it's included at no additional cost for Microsoft 365 users... it's content aware, meaning it quickly understands what you're working on.'