Copilot: A Complete Guide to Using Microsoft’s ChatGPT Version for Enhanced Productivity

ChatGPT isn’t the only AI chatbot available; Microsoft’s Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) is a notable competitor. If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s worth exploring. Integrated into Microsoft’s suite of tools, Copilot enhances your experience on smartphones, tablets, and desktops, featuring a user-friendly sidebar in Microsoft Edge.

Like other leading AI chatbots, Copilot continually evolves, ensuring fresh and improved interactions. This guide provides a quick overview of how to find, download, and effectively use this innovative tool.

How to Get Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is accessible via Bing and Edge. While the tool is free to use, a Microsoft account (also free) is necessary. If you don’t have one, simply visit account.microsoft.com to create it. The free version of Copilot is included in Windows 11 as well.

The free Copilot allows users to ask web-searchable questions, delivering well-informed responses with footnotes for easy referencing. For deeper integration with Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, consider subscribing to Microsoft Copilot Pro for $20 per month. For advanced features like Microsoft Teams compatibility and enterprise-level data security, the Copilot for Microsoft 365 plan costs $30 per month.

How to Use Microsoft Copilot on Your Phone

Using Microsoft Copilot on smartphones and tablets is straightforward. Simply download the official Microsoft Copilot app, available for both iOS and Android. You can also access Copilot through the Microsoft Edge and Bing apps on these platforms.

How Does It Work?

Copilot operates similarly to ChatGPT, leveraging a large language model (LLM) to understand and respond in conversational language. Microsoft has been introducing new features to enhance Copilot, many of which are now available. Notably, the Edge Copilot feature promotes a conversational interface, suggesting question types and providing links for additional information, making it function more like a traditional search engine.

In addition to chat, the sidebar includes a Compose feature for generating text in various tones and formats. You can choose the style, length, and tone of your output—whether it’s a professional email or a lighthearted blog post. If you’re not satisfied with a response, you can easily request a new one.

Designer (Formerly Bing Image Creator)

An exciting aspect of the Copilot experience is Microsoft’s AI image generator, known as Designer. This tool enables users to create, edit, save, and share AI-generated images. You can access Microsoft Designer online or through the Android app. The free version provides 15 image boosts per day, while the $20 per month Copilot Pro plan offers an additional 75 boosts. A “boost” is a digital currency that speeds up image generation.

Is Microsoft Copilot the Same as ChatGPT?

Microsoft describes Bing Chat as a “next-generation OpenAI large language model,” claiming it surpasses ChatGPT. With a focus on integrating this technology with Bing search, it is designed to deliver faster results and enhanced capabilities beyond GPT-3.5. Known as the Prometheus model, it incorporates live news, ensuring current and safe responses for its users. Microsoft has confirmed that Copilot utilizes GPT-4, a fact revealed alongside OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT-4. Microsoft rigorously tested this AI for over a year prior to its release, with insights from the community indicating that Copilot demonstrated advanced behaviors beforehand.

Other AI Options

Another emerging AI tool is Google’s Gemini, which has shown significant improvements since its initial buggy launch. Additionally, Jasper AI, a partner of OpenAI, provides a customizable, ChatGPT-like solution tailored for business applications without a waitlist. Regardless of which competitor ultimately prevails, it’s evident that AI-enhanced search technology is the future. Anticipation builds for seeing Google’s response to this trend in action soon.