Microsoft Unveils Copilot: A Strategic Revamp of Bing Chat

Big news from Microsoft: they’ve given Bing Chat a makeover and it’s now rocking the name Copilot. This move, announced at Microsoft Ignite 2023, also applies to the premium enterprise version, formerly Bing Chat Enterprise. Microsoft emphasizes the rebranding aims to create a unified experience for consumers and commercial users.

This isn’t just a name change; Copilot comes with some new features and a privacy boost. Starting December 1, if you sign into Bing with your work account, aka a Microsoft Entra ID, you get what they call “commercial data protection.” It ensures that your data remains private and is not used for AI model training.

But Copilot isn’t keeping the party exclusive to Bing. It’s branching out to Windows and Copilot.Microsoft.com. Plus, it’s tagging along with various Microsoft enterprise subscription plans, like Microsoft 365 E, E5, Business Premium, and Business Standard. Even Microsoft 365 F3 users get a taste of Copilot starting December 1. For everyone else, you can snag Copilot separately for $5 a month.

This strategic move positions Copilot as a versatile, privacy-focused AI assistant, serving both individual and corporate users. It appears to be Microsoft’s response to evolving competition, including the rise of ChatGPT.