Microsoft unveils a new copilot built to write, build and act

Microsoft has unveiled a sweeping redesign of Copilot, seeking to transform its artificial intelligence assistant from a conversational tool into a broader platform for enterprise work. Announced on September 25, 2026, by Jared Spataro, the company’s chief marketing officer for AI at Work, the new Copilot introduces three major capabilities: Home, Code and Autopilot.

The first, Home, is intended to become the main gateway to Copilot. It brings together Chat, designed for quick questions, drafting and summaries, with Cowork, a mode built for tasks that can be delegated from start to finish. Microsoft says users will be able to review recent activity, receive suggestions and resume projects without moving between multiple applications. Cowork is aimed at more complex assignments, such as preparing customer briefings, financial close packages, launch materials or responses to requests for proposals.

A central part of the announcement is the integration of Word, Excel and PowerPoint directly into Copilot. Microsoft is positioning this as a way to reduce the friction between conversation and production. From Copilot, users will be able to create or update real Office documents, spreadsheets and presentations, while keeping files editable and synchronized for teams. The company also highlighted improvements in PowerPoint, Excel and Microsoft 365 Skills, including brand-aware slide creation, clearer tracking of spreadsheet changes and specialized workflows for functions such as finance and law.

The second pillar, Code, extends software creation beyond professional developers. Users will be able to describe an app, workflow, dashboard or automation in natural language, with Copilot choosing an approach and building the solution. The feature is powered by technology related to GitHub Copilot and will operate in a sandboxed environment that can be hosted securely within a company’s Microsoft 365 tenant. Code is scheduled to roll out first through Microsoft’s Frontier program, with broader availability expected in the following weeks and a preview for Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro subscribers later this year.

Autopilot, previously known as Scout, represents the most agentic element of the new system. Microsoft describes it as a digital teammate that can be given a name, role and goal. It is designed to follow conversations, monitor channels, manage recurring work and continue projects without waiting for repeated prompts. It will appear in tools such as Teams, Outlook, chats, channels and documents, while operating with permissions, audit controls and governance.

Microsoft is also expanding the business context available to Copilot through Microsoft IQ, Fabric IQ, Power BI semantic models, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. A unified plugin registry will bring together Microsoft, partner and custom-built plugins for centralized approval and management.

The company also addressed the economics of enterprise AI. Everyday usage will remain tied to subscription licensing, while longer-running agentic work, including Cowork, Code and Autopilot, will rely on usage-based billing. New FinOps tools are intended to help organizations monitor spending, set policies and evaluate business value.

Further features, including a personalized command center called Today and expanded Copilot capabilities in Teams, are expected in private preview in the coming weeks.