Microsoft Copilot Studio represents one of the most exciting updates to Microsoft’s evolving generative AI and large language model tools.
Announced at Microsoft Ignite 2023, Copilot Studio is a brand-new solution. It promises users an intuitive way to customize generative AI assistants. Users can adapt the “Copilot” experiences and create their own.
This innovation will empower organizations of all sizes to quickly build, test, and customize copilots and GPTs. Plus, no developer knowledge is required. Every user gets complete control over their standalone copilots, too.
Let’s take a closer look at what Microsoft Copilot Studio can do.
What is Microsoft Copilot Studio?
Microsoft Copilot Studio is a new low-code solution for customizing Copilot experiences in Microsoft 365 and building your own generative AI tools. Over the last year, Microsoft has rolled out various versions of its Copilot assistant, from Copilot for Sales to Microsoft Security Copilot.
Every version of the technology comes with access to the Microsoft graph ecosystem and integrates seamlessly with existing tools in the tech giant’s portfolio. They also all support business productivity and performance in various ways, from summarizing meetings to crafting email responses.
Copilot Studio, however, gives businesses more control over their AI experience. It provides access to a broader range of applications, with over 1,000 pre-built connectors for tools like SAP and Workday. It includes access to conversational capabilities and solutions, from custom GPTs to generative AI plugins and beyond.
As companies continue to adopt generative AI for virtually every business process, business leaders are increasingly searching for more unique, customized solutions. Unfortunately, building, deploying, and analyzing comprehensive AI tools can be complex for smaller companies.
Copilot Studio aims to democratize the generative AI and LLM experience for everyone via a SaaS service built on the foundations of Microsoft Power Platform technologies. It even integrates with Microsoft solutions, like Azure OpenAI Studio, Azure Bot Service, and Azure Cognitive Services.
Microsoft Copilot Studio Availability
Copilot Studio is available to access today in a range of formats. Users can access the Microsoft Copilot Studio for Microsoft Teams plan to create conversational interfaces within Teams.
The capabilities in the Studio app for Teams are available as part of select Microsoft 365 subscriptions, which include Teams and Microsoft Power Platform access.
You’ll need to purchase a standalone Microsoft Copilot Studio subscription to unlock the full range of capabilities offered by Microsoft’s Studio. Users can upgrade from within the Microsoft Studio app in Teams when prompted.
There’s also an option to start a 60-day free trial of Copilot Studio to test all the functionality before you commit to a paid plan. Notably, pricing isn’t included on the Microsoft website, as it varies depending on your usage.
What Can You Do with Microsoft Copilot Studio?
According to Microsoft, the Copilot virtual assistant users are more productive, creative, and satisfied at work. However, increasingly, companies have shared their desires to customize the experience for specific enterprise scenarios. They want to connect the system to their records systems and personalize the interaction with bots for their employees.
Copilot Studio makes it easier to build and deploy a generative AI plugin for Microsoft 365 with a drag-and-drop low-code builder that includes logic and data connectivity options.
With the graphical builder, users can connect to backend APIs and actions, create their bespoke GPTs, and even build generative responses with their enterprise knowledge. Plus, users can even supplement generative responses with custom topic flows.
With Microsoft Copilot Studio, users can:
Customize existing copilot experiences
One of the core features of Microsoft Copilot Studio is the ability to customize your existing generative AI experiences across a range of Microsoft 365 environments. As mentioned above, you can integrate your own enterprise knowledge into the Copilot services you use in a couple of clicks and customize the responses of Copilot assistants.
You can design tailored conversations for predictable scenarios, automate workflows, and customize connectivity with various apps.
Microsoft even offers a specific version of Copilot Studio for Microsoft Teams users. This solution allows companies to customize conversational interfaces in Teams, using data stored within the “Microsoft Dataverse” and other standard connectors.
Users can leverage Power Automate connectors to create custom workflows, deploy unique versions of Copilot to different channels, and more. This takes the Microsoft Teams Copilot experience to the next level, giving every user their bespoke, generative AI solution.
Build Custom Bots with Generative AI
Users can develop and publish dedicated custom copilots for their organization. These tools can support specific roles and functions, such as “IT support copilots” or “sales copilots.” The low-code graphical interface and natural language tools allow anyone to start building in seconds.
Plus, Studio provides step-by-step guidance, helping users refine their solution’s design iteratively. There are tools to streamline solution development, from graphical multi-authoring to collaborative commenting and side-by-side coding views.
Copilot Studio also includes advanced features to enhance responses from generative AI, such as responses from refined data sets, dynamically changed plugins and prompt-building tools. Generative answers can also draw information from multiple data sets like SharePoint sites and websites.
Plus, users can access dynamic “generative actions” to generate multi-turn answers and dialogues for users, adapting their copilot’s behavior however they choose.
Deploy, Share, and Scale with Centralized Management
Microsoft’s standalone copilots can be seamlessly published to external and internal websites and Microsoft Teams, mobile apps, and other channels. Users can create copilots for SharePoint to answer HR questions or create dedicated copilots for customer service.
You can also engage with customers and employees in various languages on any channel supported by the Azure Bot Framework. As a bonus, Copilot Studio has advanced governance and control features for business leaders.
You can deploy bots using central administration tools, leverage built-in security roles, and access comprehensive visibility into customized, standalone copilots. There’s even a centralized analytics dashboard where you can track critical KPIs, identify opportunities, and constantly improve your apps with self-learning tools.
Admins can also comprehensively control maker and user access, using company-specific policies and managing environments from a unified admin centre.
The Benefits of Copilot Studio for Business Leaders
The launch of Copilot Studio at Microsoft Ignite is part of a comprehensive set of updates to the overall platform experience. From now on, Microsoft is focusing on enhancing Copilot’s mathematical and analytical capabilities, as well as offering more personalization to users.
Alongside using the Studio to customize generative AI experiences and build bespoke bots, users can also personalize their experience in other ways. For instance, individuals can give Copilot details about their roles and priorities so it can tailor responses accordingly.
According to Microsoft, this new capability will begin rolling out in Word and PowerPoint before complementing other Microsoft apps. For instance, there’ll soon be a new “sound like me” feature in Copilot for Outlook, which matches your writing style for emails.
Studio gives businesses the full freedom and flexibility to unlock the true power of generative AI and large language models without spending a fortune on customization. Microsoft also says it will soon simplify the process of integrating OpenAI services into bots for makers.
In the months ahead, creators can build comprehensive GPTs within the Copilot Studio system and publish them anywhere. Moreover, Copilot Studio will be a crucial administrative tool for IT leaders and executives. The built-in analytics will help users monitor tool usage and their impact on the business.
Additionally, company leaders can maintain comprehensive control over who can build and edit copilots to minimize security risks.
Getting Started with Microsoft Copilot Studio
The Copilot Studio is part of the company’s broader push towards a future of AI innovation. The tech leaders even introduced a new Advanced bot-building studio for professional developers. This will accompany the solution, combining the professional capabilities of Azure Bot Framework Composer with Copilot Studio.
Interested companies can learn more via the Copilot Studio website. Or, you can sign up for a free trial to test the functionality. Developers can learn more about building standalone GPTs and customizing Copilot within Azure AI Studio.
The Copilot Studio is already integrated with the comprehensive Azure OpenAI Studio platform, and Microsoft will continue to deepen that integration going forward.
