Getting More from the AI You Already Have

Getting the Most from Microsoft Copilot Chat

With many of our clients using the Microsoft 365 suite, we wanted to highlight some recent updates to Copilot Chat, the free version of Copilot now available to many Microsoft 365 licence holders.

Copilot Chat is now built into the core apps you already use every day: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. You can now chat beside your document, reference recent files, or summarise content without switching windows, all at no extra cost.

These updates create great value for organisations who may not have seen a clear return on investment in the paid version of Copilot. I am glad to see the question is shifting from “Should we pay for Copilot?” to “How can we get more out of what we already have?”

The Equity Challenge

As more organisations experiment with many AI tools, one emerging challenge is the equity of access. When only some staff have paid Copilot licences, questions arise around how we decide who should get access and how can we ensure those decisions are fair?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the equation we are seeing those who already have a paid licence are in some instances not yet realising its full potential and few are reporting on the usage of the upgraded licenses. Without support and clear use cases, tools like Copilot can sit idle, creating uneven experiences across teams and missed opportunities for efficiency.

Why Upskilling Matters

AI adoption is not just about having access to new tools, it is about knowing how to use the tools effectively. A tool is only as powerful as the skill of the person using it.

Without upskilling staff in the tools already available within your technology suite, people will look elsewhere, often to free tools like ChatGPT. And while these can be helpful, they also present real data risks when used without guidance. Sensitive or confidential information entered into a public large language model contributes to training a system that sits outside your organisation’s secure environment.

By helping teams understand how to use Copilot Chat safely and effectively, organisations can reduce risk whilst also enhancing productivity and confidence in AI.

Getting the Most Out of What You Have

Microsoft continues to invest in integrating AI across the M365 suite, creating an experience that allow users to access insights, summarise content, and automate tasks without leaving the apps they are already using.

But we also know that embedding these tools into daily workflows requires more than awareness of the tool itself. It requires a shift in the way we work. When developers use AI to accelerate delivery of systems, other teams must also evolve to keep pace. Failing to do so means missing the opportunity to keep up with innovation and, ultimately, letting our people fall behind.

Upskilling our teams in AI is more than an investment in technology. It is an investment in our people!

Start Where You Are

If you are exploring how to embed AI tools more effectively in your organisation, now is the perfect time to start with what is already included in your Microsoft environment.

Copilot Chat’s new features offer a practical, safe, and cost-effective way to begin experimenting with AI and to build the capability and confidence your teams need to embrace the future of work.

Keen to Learn More?

If you are exploring how to help your teams build confidence with AI tools like Copilot, we are happy to support your team and assist with any upskilling through one of our workshops or simply for a chat and some advice.

Please reach out if you would like to talk about some practical ways to help your people get more from the technology you are already paying for within your tech suite.