In the last weeks of 2023 there was a lot of excitement, between presentations of new artificial intelligences (such as Grok, available for premium+ users of X) and the latest models of already existing software (such as Claude 2.1 by Anthropic).
We said in an article that Microsoft had also come out into the open, announcing that the Copilot (formerly Bing) chatbot had finished the preview phase and was available in its stable version in 169 countries and 105 languages. But it was a service reserved for companies.
Not Copilot adds a Pro to the name, it is launched for everyone and its cost will be 22 euros per month. Let’s find out the details.
Microsoft launches Copilot Pro: the announcement
The announcement appeared in an article published on Microsoft’s official blog (also in Italian) on Tuesday 15 January: Copilot Pro is now available to everyone.
We read in the note: “Microsoft today globally announces a series of innovations related to its generative artificial intelligence solutions, with the aim of helping every person and every organization in the world achieve more, bringing Copilot, everyone’s AI companion days, to millions of people.
The company presented Copilot Pro, a premium subscription for everyone, which brings Copilot’s generative AI capabilities to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers and additional features such as the ability to develop custom Copilot GPTs.
Microsoft also announced the general availability of the Copilot app for iOS and Android. Finally, Copilot for Microsoft 365 is available starting today to an ever-increasing number of companies, even the smallest ones.”
How to activate Copilot Pro
Copilot Pro is available for Italian users at a cost of 22 euros per month, and can be activated from the appropriate page.
For those who already subscribe to Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, you can immediately unlock Copilot Pro in the Office apps on Mac, Windows and iPad.
With Copilot Pro you get priority access to GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo during peak hours, “to accelerate performance and generate AI responses, content and images even faster.”
Copilot Pro features
In addition to priority access and the ability to access Copilot Pro from Office apps, the new Microsoft software allows you to enjoy aunified AI experience across all deviceswhich includes context on the web, on PC, in apps and soon on your phone.
The image creation process has improved thanks to Designer’s Image Creator (formerly Bing Image Creator), which guarantees greater speed and even more detailed quality, in addition to the format.
Then there is the possibility of developing your own Copilot GPT, i.e. a personalized chatbot, within the new Copilot GPT Builder, soon to be released. With simple instructions you can specialize Copilot Pro on a topic of specific interest. Microsoft has already announced specific topics, such as fitness, travel and cooking.
Furthermore, The Copilot mobile app is available on the iOS and Android storeswith the same features as the software on PC, including access to GPT-4, Dall-E 3 for image creation “and the ability to use images from your phone while chatting with Copilot”.
Finally, Microsoft has also integrated Copilot into the Microsoft 365 mobile app (for Android and iOS) for individuals who have a Microsoft account. The feature will be available during the month of February.
Copilot for companies
Adopted by 40% of Fortune 100 companies as part of the Microsoft Early Access Program and implemented by large companies such as Visa, BP, Honda, Pfizer and partners such as Accenture, KPMG and PwC who have pioneered a new way of working, Copilot for Microsoft 365 is now available to organizations of all sizes, with no minimum number of users.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 is available to small businesses within the Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Business Standard plans. You can purchase from 1 to 299 users at a cost of $30 per person per month.
Microsoft is therefore eliminating the minimum threshold of 300 users for companies and is proceeding with the availability of Copilot for Office 365 E3 and E5 customers (previously a Microsoft 365 license was required). Copilot for Microsoft 365 is also available for purchase through the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider partner ecosystem.
Microsoft also announced (but this was already last December) the suitability of Copilot for Microsoft 365 for teachers and the education sector.
