MICROSOFT UNVEILS REDESIGNED COPILOT APP WITH THREE-TAB LAYOUT

Microsoft has unveiled a redesigned version of its Copilot app that combines chat, coding and automation tools into a single interface built around three tabs: Home, Code and Autopilot. The company says Home merges Copilot Chat with its Cowork feature and serves as the default landing screen, including a "Today" dashboard that surfaces emails, meeting requests and Teams threads. Jared Spataro, Microsoft's chief marketing officer of AI at work, said Home is designed to help users "get their bearings" and pick up work where they left off. The Code tab lets users describe an app, tracker, dashboard or automation in natural language, with Copilot then building it, according to Spataro. Microsoft says Code runs in a sandboxed environment hosted within a user's own organisation and uses the same underlying technology as GitHub Copilot.

The Autopilot tab replaces a feature previously called Scout, which Microsoft introduced at its Build conference earlier this year as a desktop-based personal assistant. Spataro described Autopilot as a "digital teammate" that can continue working autonomously, including while a user is away from their device. According to Spataro, Autopilot can handle tasks such as managing a full supplier review process, building schedules, preparing materials, running meetings and following up with stakeholders without further input. One report noted that the update follows a smaller refresh of the Copilot app earlier this year and comes as Microsoft pulls back on embedding Copilot features directly into Windows.

Microsoft says the changes are intended to make Copilot more useful for both individual consumers and businesses, with particular emphasis on enterprise users who process data, generate reports and build presentations. The Home tab will also be able to route requests automatically between Copilot's different modes, according to the company, directing simple queries to chat and more complex tasks to deeper Copilot processing. Microsoft did not detail a rollout timeline beyond confirming the app's launch. The company has framed the redesigned app as a central hub intended to carry similar significance to its existing Office suite.