Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant that helps you perform and streamline tasks more effectively, and analyze data to to help you make connections and better decisions. ITS offers two tiers of Copilot service:

Microsoft Copilot Chat: Free to use in your O365 account. Use the chatbot to ask questions and get immediate answers, and obtain help in creating documents and analyzing data.
Microsoft 365 Copilot: Premium AI integration in your O365 account available for a fee. Copilot is embedded into all of your Microsoft apps so you can generate content and automate tasks without switching applications.

As with any AI tool, we caution you that responses from Copilot may not always be accurate, so please double check information and be aware of biases that can be generated. If you have any questions about Copilot, please contact copilot-feedback@med.cornell.edu or visit our AI page.

Microsoft Copilot Chat (Free)

The Copilot Chat AI assistant is ideal for submitting queries. When you’re connected to the internet, you can use the desktop version or online version of Copilot Chat to find information and complete tasks. Copilot uses the OpenAI ChatGPT engine, but does not train the model.

In addition to using Copilot Chat in your O365 account, you can also access it via:

A desktop client for both Windows and Mac
iOS
Android

What's Included

With Microsoft Copilot Chat you can:

Get instant assistance: Ask questions and get immediate answers.
Boost productivity: Use Copilot to help with tasks like scheduling, drafting emails, and more.
Access information anywhere: From your desktop, laptop, or mobile device.
Collaborate efficiently: Use Copilot to assist with document creation and data analysis.
Enhance user experience: Interact with Copilot through natural language processing.

Microsoft 365 Copilot (Paid)

Microsoft 365 Copilot is our premium AI-powered assistant that is fully integrated into Microsoft 365 applications. It helps you work more efficiently by combining large language models with your organization’s data from Microsoft Graph, enabling intelligent assistance directly within your daily workflows.

Unlike Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 Copilot is embedded inside tools like Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, allowing you to generate content, summarize information, and automate tasks in context without switching applications.

This is our recommended AI solution for production-level work scenarios, where integration with organizational data and enterprise workflows is required. You can order an M365 Copilot license through our Microsoft Software Order Guide.

What’s Included

Work directly in your apps: Use Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
Generate and refine content: Draft emails, create presentations, summarize meetings, and analyze data.
Leverage your work data: Access insights based on emails, documents, chats, and meetings.
Automate workflows: Streamline repetitive tasks and improve efficiency.
Enhance collaboration: Get meeting summaries, action items, and contextual insights.

Comparison of Microsoft Copilot Chat vs. Microsoft 365 Copilot

Features	Copilot Chat	M365 Copilot
Price	Free (included in O365)	$231 per year
Primary experience	Standalone AI chat	Embedded in Microsoft apps
M365 app integration	No	Yes
Data grounding	Web-grounded* *Currently disabled for security reasons to allow use of high-risk data in app	Microsoft Graph-grounded
Workflow integration	Limited	Deep integration
Meeting assistance	Limited	Full summaries and action items
Content creation	Chat-based	In-app drafting and editing
Ideal use case	Lightweight use	Production workflows

Cost and Fees

Microsoft Copilot Chat: Included in your O365 license
Microsoft 365 Copilot: $231 per user/year

Service Requirements

You will need one of the following operating systems to use Copilot:

Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan or later
Windows 10 or later
Android 4.4 or later
iOS 10.0 or later

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started with Copilot Chat?

To use Copilot, visit copilot.cloud.microsoft and sign in with your CWID and password to access the protected version. You can view our step-by-step guide in myHelpdesk on how to use Copilot, as well as our FAQ for query ideas. Copilot is currently accessible in your internet browser (with full features available in Microsoft Edge), as well as iOS and Android mobile apps. If you have any issues accessing Copilot, please note it may take up to 24 hours for the application to officially enroll your WCM account.

Is my data secure when using Copilot Chat?

Yes, your data is secure. Microsoft employs robust security measures to ensure that your information is protected while using Copilot Chat.

Can I use Copilot Chat to interact with other Microsoft services?

Integration with other Microsoft apps, like Excel or PowerPoint, requires a paid M365 license. You can request one using the Microsoft Software Order Guide in myHelpdesk.