[Review] 'AI Work Assistant' MS Copilot, Saves Time and Enhances Collaboration

'Copilot Free' One Month Free Trial Available
Integrated into M365 Apps like Word, PPT, Excel
Create Documents Using Web Search and Latest Information
Change Style and Tone... PPT Creation Made Easy

I tried using Copilot Pro in Microsoft (MS) M365 programs such as Word and PowerPoint. First, I paid a monthly fee of 8,900 KRW to install the M365 applications on my computer and used the free trial of Copilot Pro. For individual users, Copilot Pro is free for the first month, but from the following month, a monthly fee of 29,000 KRW must be paid.

Using the Copilot feature embedded in the PowerPoint application, I created a presentation introducing 'CES 2025,' which will be held next year. Copilot searched the web for information and neatly organized the content into six slides. Photo by Kim Bo-kyung

While writing the article, I considered how to utilize the AI assistant Copilot Pro and chose the topic of Starlink low Earth orbit satellite communication by SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk. Since this is an unfamiliar service not yet introduced in Korea, I was able to check the latest materials and news using Copilot’s web search function. After launching the Word app, I clicked the Copilot button at the top right corner, which opened a chat window, and when I entered questions, it quickly provided answers. For example, when I asked how many countries operate low Earth orbit satellite businesses, it replied, citing recent foreign media, that there are 112 countries. It also provided source links for the information, which was a distinguishing feature from ChatGPT. This made it easy to check SpaceX’s social media and various foreign news sources, significantly reducing the hassle of web searching.

Additionally, without the need to open and close websites repeatedly, I could perform web searches and document editing all within the Word app, saving time. Sometimes I would click on articles due to provocative headlines while browsing websites, but using Copilot helped maintain the workflow without interruption. By entering items and figures, I could also create simple tables, which could be used as visuals attached to the article.

The final visual related to Starlink was created by an Asia Economy designer using Copilot to insert rocket images and text into the graph. Photo by Kim Bo-kyung

It was unique that below each answer, there was always a phrase stating, “AI-generated content may contain errors.” This seemed to remind users that the final decision to accept the AI’s answers rests with them. There is also a feature that suggests multiple recommended questions for users unfamiliar with prompting.

However, it was disappointing that when I closed and reopened the Word app, I could not retrieve the previous Q&A exchanges with Copilot. Also, if I wanted Copilot to find new information while writing a document, I had to request it by saying, “Please search the web for OOO.” Otherwise, it would try to find the information within the currently open document.

This time, I used Copilot in the PowerPoint app to create a presentation about the Starlink service. A roughly 10-page presentation summarizing the service overview, goals, and advantages was created, including related images such as rockets and satellites in a sleek style, making the work much easier. This greatly reduced the hassle of manually creating each slide. It also quickly created a presentation about the world’s largest IT exhibition, CES 2025, scheduled for January next year.

However, for example, when I requested images related to Elon Musk, the request was rejected with messages like “Possible violation of compliance” and “Unable to perform the task.” This appeared to be due to issues related to portrait rights or intellectual property rights. Also, the Excel app does not yet support Korean, which imposed some limitations on its use.

M365 Copilot offers a business plan for companies with fewer than 300 employees and an enterprise plan for organizations with 300 or more employees. With the cooperation of Microsoft Korea, I demonstrated the business version. The business M365 Copilot includes a “BizChat” feature, which searches and summarizes various materials, meeting minutes, emails, and more uploaded to the cloud. This is expected to enhance collaboration within organizations and increase usability.

The Copilot prompt window allows uploading up to five files, and it explores and organizes information within those files. It automatically adjusts the writing style according to requests such as “Change to SNS post format” or “Write in email body format.” When converting to an SNS post style, it was impressive that emoticons and hashtags were carefully included. Foreign language PDF materials can also be translated and summarized into Korean, and currently, a total of 42 languages are supported.

A Microsoft Korea official said, “Copilot makes starting work easier. If previously a person had to do everything from zero to ten, now they can start from five or six. By utilizing Copilot functions tailored to the specialties of each app, work efficiency can be improved.”