Microsoft to unveil the next phase of Copilot. Here's what to expect
It promises improved features for enterprise users and a potential Copilot rebrand.
On September 16, Microsoft is set to reveal the “next phase of Copilot innovation” at its Wave 2 Copilot event, hosted on LinkedIn Live at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.
Satya Nadella and Jared Spataro will share the latest updates for Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant integrated across Microsoft 365, Windows 11, and Edge.
What should users expect from this upcoming event?
While specific details haven’t been fully unveiled yet, The Verge suggests a rebranding might be part of the plan, with Microsoft moving toward a more unified naming structure.
So, "Copilot in Word" will likely become "Microsoft 365 Copilot in Word," and "Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365" to "Microsoft 365 Copilot," signalling its deeper integration into Microsoft’s broader ecosystem.
What new features will be announced?
For businesses, Microsoft is expected to focus on making Copilot more valuable, particularly in justifying the $30 per user per month subscription fee.
Some companies, like Ascendion, have already paused their use of Copilot due to bugs and concerns over its value for the price. Microsoft may use this event to address these concerns head-on and introduce updates that enhance reliability and performance.
The event will likely also showcase how Copilot is expanding in Dynamics 365, with new capabilities across sales, service, and finance—further embedding AI into business workflows to streamline tasks like lead generation and financial reconciliation.
While a lot of the focus is on business users, Microsoft’s Copilot Pro—its consumer AI offering—could also see some updates. Priced at $20 per month, Copilot Pro hasn’t seen as many feature upgrades recently, and Microsoft even removed the GPT Builder earlier this year.
However, with Mustafa Suleyman leading the new consumer AI unit, which focuses on products like Bing and Edge, we might see some exciting new consumer-facing developments at the event.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
Copilot isn’t just another tool—it’s central to Microsoft’s ambitious AI strategy. The company’s $10 billion investment in OpenAI has allowed it to integrate cutting-edge AI technology like GPT-4 into its services, giving Microsoft a competitive edge in the market.
This move contributed to Microsoft briefly surpassing Apple earlier this year as the world’s most valuable tech company, with a valuation exceeding $3 trillion. However, Microsoft no longer holds that title, as its valuation has since fluctuated.
Acquah Nana Yeboah
But Google is hot on Microsoft’s heels with its Gemini AI tool (formerly known as Bard). While Google’s AI offers unlimited interactions and is making strides in consumer-friendly applications, Microsoft’s advantage lies in Copilot’s deep integration into the productivity apps professionals rely on daily.
The Wave 2 event will likely showcase how Microsoft intends to keep that edge by continuing to build Copilot into its platforms, making it even more indispensable for work tasks like drafting emails, summarizing documents, and analyzing data.
