Microsoft Copilot: how to use this powerful AI assistant

In today’s fast-paced world of artificial intelligence, Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant is like having a personal assistant at your fingertips, ready to boost your productivity at work. Whether you’re just starting to explore AI tools or you’re an experienced user, this guide will walk you through the basics of Copilot. You’ll learn what it is, how to sign up, how to create effective prompts, and even how to generate stunning images with it.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to make the most out of Microsoft’s Copilot and completely change the way you tackle your work tasks.

What is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is like your new best friend in the digital workspace. It’s an advanced AI assistant that operates on a large language model, which means it can understand and generate human-like text. You can access it through various platforms, including the web and mobile apps for iOS and Android. It also integrates smoothly with Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Originally launched in February 2023 as Bing Chat, it replaced the earlier digital assistant, Cortana. After some rebranding, it officially became known as Copilot in September 2023 and received a big update for Windows 11 in December of the same year.

How Does Copilot Work?

Copilot uses Microsoft’s Prometheus model, which is built on OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology. Microsoft has made a significant investment in OpenAI—around $13 billion—so you’ll notice that Copilot and ChatGPT share quite a few capabilities.

Copilot can summarize documents, analyze spreadsheets, generate text and images, and even chat with you as a friendly bot. There’s a free version available, but it has some limitations, like the number of interactions you can have. If you want more features, you can opt for the Copilot Pro plan, which costs $20 a month after a free trial.

New Features to Look Forward To

Recently, Microsoft announced exciting new features for Copilot, including Vision and Voice Interaction options for users on the Edge browser.

• Vision allows Copilot to assist you while you browse, answering questions and providing summaries of the content you’re viewing. You’ll have control over this feature, needing to turn it on each time, and it respects your privacy by not working on paywalled or sensitive content.
• Voice Interaction lets you speak to Copilot just like you would in a conversation, making it feel more natural and intuitive. This feature is currently being rolled out in English to users in countries like the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Signing Up for Copilot

Ready to get started? Here’s how you can sign up for Copilot:

1. Visit the Copilot Website: Look for the sign-in button at the top right corner.
2. Choose Your Account Type: You can use a personal account (like Gmail) or a work/school account.
3. Create an Account: If you don’t have a Microsoft account, click “No account? Create one!” and follow the instructions.

If you’re interested in upgrading to Pro, once you’re logged in, just click on “Try Copilot Pro” and follow the prompts. Make sure to have a credit card handy, as Microsoft will charge you $20 each month after the first free month.

Getting Started with Copilot

When you log into Copilot, you’ll see a home screen packed with features. You can switch between Copilot and Notebook modes. Copilot is best for chatting and asking questions, while Notebook is great for longer writing tasks.

At the bottom of the screen, there’s a space to upload documents or images for analysis. You can even ask questions by clicking the microphone icon instead of typing. Plus, you can choose how creative or precise you want Copilot’s responses to be by selecting options like More Creative, More Balanced, or More Precise.

In the top-right corner, you’ll find your account information and settings. Here, you can manage your privacy settings and other options. On the far right, you’ll find your chat history and options for plugins, which let you integrate other services like Instacart or Kayak for specific queries.

How to Use Prompts Effectively in Copilot

Just because Copilot can understand many languages doesn’t mean it can read your mind! When you ask it for something, be as specific as possible. For instance, if you want a poem about nature, you might get a beautiful piece, but if you want it in the style of a Greek epic, you need to specify that. The more details you give, like the tone or length, the better Copilot can meet your needs.

Creating Images with Copilot

Creating images in Copilot is similar to asking for written content. Be clear about what you want. Instead of saying “draw a pretty frog playing music,” try “draw an image of a frog in a top hat playing the violin in a packed concert hall.” Copilot will give you a few options to choose from, and you can refine the image further based on your preferences.

Managing Your Copilot Account

Not every chat you have with Copilot is worth saving. If you want to delete a chat, just hover over it and click the trash can icon. For more extensive management, you can go to your privacy dashboard and clear your entire chat history.

Be Careful with Information from Copilot

Remember, while Copilot is a powerful tool, it’s not perfect. Sometimes it can provide incorrect or misleading information, a phenomenon known as “hallucination.” There have been real-world consequences for relying too heavily on AI for factual information. Always double-check important details, especially in professional settings.

With this guide, you’re all set to dive into Microsoft Copilot and start transforming your work life. Happy exploring!