Microsoft is giving all Microsoft 365 users free Copilot chat

Microsoft is adding its AI chatbot Copilot as a free update to all applications in its Microsoft 365 Office package. Users of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote in this package will receive free access to this AI assistant, which can answer questions, create documents, and analyze tables. Copilot appears in a sidebar when called up and is designed to help with office work.

The update is primarily aimed at business customers. Microsoft 365 private customers were already given Copilot at the beginning of this year—with a simultaneous price increase. Since then, these private subscriptions to Microsoft 365 have cost 30 percent more, but Copilot and AI image editing are included. However, there is a way out for existing customers who do not require AI services, namely switching to another, classic subscription model, which Microsoft continues to offer at the previous price.

AI assistant as a free update

Microsoft 365 business customers who previously did not have an AI chatbot integrated into the Office software will now receive Microsoft's Copilot at no extra charge. This means that it is no longer necessary to copy content from the applications to have it checked or improved by an AI chatbot such as ChatGPT, upload files to an AI or constantly switch between AI and Office applications, Microsoft writes in its blog.

“Copilot Chat is a secure, web-based AI chat – now available in Microsoft 365 apps,” explains Microsoft manager Seth Patton. “It's content-aware, so it quickly recognizes what you're working on and adapts responses to the file you have open. It's included free of charge for Microsoft 365 users.”

Free Copilot also with GPT-5

As usual, the free Copilot for Microsoft 365 is based on information available on the Internet but is said to be subject to Microsoft's security measures. It is pleasing to note that the free Copilot update for Microsoft 365 will also include the new GPT-5 language model, which OpenAI published at the beginning of August. Microsoft had already announced shortly afterwards that it would be integrating ChatGPT-5 into its ecosystem. This now also includes this free update.

At the same time, Microsoft is pointing out the advantages of a license for “Microsoft 365 Copilot,” which is pricier but is intended to offer more powerful artificial intelligence (AI). This Copilot can use reasoning not only within a document but across all data available to it, such as other documents, emails, and chats. Copilot licensees will also have priority access to functions such as file uploads and image creation, as well as shorter response times and higher availability, even during periods of heavy use.

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