Microsoft Copilot vs. Google Duet: how do you choose the right generative AI assistant for your business? On the surface, both of these tools seem very similar. They’re both proprietary solutions designed to integrate with existing tools in the Microsoft and Google ecosystem.
Leveraging large language models and conversational algorithms, these tools can naturally respond to human prompts and generate human-style content in seconds. Microsoft Copilot is a comprehensive assistant built into tools like Bing Search, Microsoft Office, and Teams.
Alternatively, Google Duet AI forms a crucial building block of the Google Workspace environment, as well as providing companies with coding assistance and developer tools.
Let’s compare the features and capabilities of these two cutting-edge generative AI applications to help you decide which one will best empower your teams.
What are Microsoft Copilot and Google Duet AI?
Both Microsoft Copilot and Google Duet AI are generative AI applications built on large language models. They can use state-of-the-art algorithms and natural language processing to interact intuitively with human users.
Generative AI has become a valuable resource in many business environments and workflows in recent years. It’s appearing in team collaboration tools, such as Zoom, CCaaS platforms, and productivity apps. With Duet and Copilot, Google and Microsoft hope to provide users with instant access to intuitive generative AI abilities within the platforms they’re already using.
Both tools have similar capabilities. They can each help users craft emails, analyze a spreadsheet, or search the internet more accurately. However, there are some significant differences between the two apps. Let’s dive a little deeper into the solutions.
What is Google Duet AI, and How Can You Access It?
Currently available in preview, Duet AI is an intelligent assistant available in applications throughout the Google Cloud, including the Google Workspace. It features a natural language chat interface, allowing users to submit requests in natural language to receive guidance, sample code, and content.
Duet AI is gradually rolling into everything from Google Docs to Sheets, Slides, Gmail, and Google Meet. It can help format sheets for data analysis, write emails, or produce entire documents. Although there’s no Google Duet solution for Chrome OS, this may come in the future.
Beyond standard workplace apps, Google Duet also offers:
- Conversational assistance: Users can access the Duet AI natural language interface, trained on docs, sample code, and best practices in Console and IDEs, such as the Visual Code Studio, through Cloud Code extensions.
- Code assistance: Code assistance is available to help you create unique code through various IDEs. Users can access features through tools like Visual Studio and BigQuery. The service also supports more than 20 programming languages.
- App building: Users can use AppSheet to create intelligent business applications and workflows with the help of Duet AI. Additionally, Google offers the hosted Vertex platform for further development.
What is Microsoft Copilot, and How Can You Access It?
Similar to Google Duet, Microsoft Copilot is a generative AI solution designed to enhance Microsoft’s existing software portfolio. It’s embedded into Windows 11, Office applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and tools like Microsoft Teams.
Copilot combines the power of a large language model with data stored in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Graph and is available to users in two ways. First, the solution will soon be embedded into all the tools users access daily, from Outlook to PowerPoint and the Power Platform.
Microsoft also offers Bing Copilot for search users and is working on Copilot solutions for services like Microsoft Dynamics 365. Secondly, Copilot forms part of the Microsoft experience through Business Chat. This works across Microsoft 365 apps, the LLM, and your data to enhance your computing solutions' “help center” functionality.
Copilot’s functionality varies depending on where it’s accessed. For instance, Copilot can help draft documents and source information in Word. Power Platform it allows businesses to create automated workflows for productivity.
Microsoft Copilot vs. Google Duet: Text and Documents
Thanks to innovations like ChatGPT, many people know the powerful text generation capabilities of generative AI. Both Microsoft and Google have leveraged the creative text generation abilities of their tools in their document creation apps, Word and Google Docs.
Google Duet Docs Features
Google Duet features a “Help Me Write” tool for document creation. All users need to do is input a natural language prompt describing what they want to write, and the AI system will do the rest. The unique thing about the tool is the addition of “smart chips” for variable information.
This allows users to rapidly customize certain pieces of content with terms related to a location or a specific business. The Help Me Write tool is available in multiple languages, such as Spanish, French, and Japanese. Plus, it can create a range of different types of documents, from blogs to job descriptions.
Microsoft Copilot Word Features
Microsoft Copilot for Word matches the functionality of Duet AI in numerous ways. It can create documents from scratch and provide suggestions and guidance on your writing. However, one unique thing about Copilot is its integration with Microsoft data.
Users can pull information from other Microsoft documents, such as PowerPoint presentations or meeting notes, in OneNote to populate their documents. You can also ask Copilot to account for other internal documents to ensure your formatting remains consistent.
Microsoft Copilot vs. Google Duet: Email
As mentioned above, the text generation features of Microsoft Copilot and Google Duet also extend to email. Both tools can organize and summarize user inboxes and create contextual messages with prompts. However, Copilot can also automatically push priority emails to the top of your inbox.
Google Duet Gmail Features
In Gmail, Duet assists with the “Help Me Write” tool. Users can enter a natural language prompt describing the email they want to write when they click the Duet icon. After assessing the output, users can “recreate” the email or “refine” the message with a single click.
You can also ask Duet to elaborate on topics in an email, shorten the copy, or make the tone more formal. Duet can also give contextual responses based on email chains and convert meeting notes into emails to share with your teammates and clients.
Microsoft Copilot Outlook Features
Once again, the features of Copilot for Outlook are similar to those offered by Duet in Gmail. You can create emails instantly with simple prompts, shorten and alter emails with a couple of clicks, and change the tone. Copilot can also draw insights from your 365 data in emails.
While crafting content, Copilot can search for relevant information from other parts of your Microsoft 365 account, such as meeting minutes, chats, and documents. Based on this, the assistant can offer more personalized and contextual suggestions. You can even ask Copilot for feedback on the quality of your email.
