Microsoft is reorganizing Copilot around three kinds of work: creating Office files, building small applications and delegating jobs to an agent that keeps running in the cloud. The new app has Home, Code and Autopilot sections, with the first two beginning their Frontier rollout in the coming weeks.
Home combines chat and delegated Cowork tasks, while embedding Word, Excel and PowerPoint directly in Copilot. A user can draft or edit a real document, workbook or presentation beside the conversation, and collaborators' changes remain synchronized with the Office apps.
Code lets non-developers describe an app, dashboard, tracker or automation in ordinary language. It uses technology related to GitHub Copilot and runs creations in a sandboxed, tenant-controlled Microsoft Copilot Managed Runtime. Code is also due in preview for Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro subscribers later this year.
Autopilot, previously called Scout, is designed for recurring work such as monitoring channels, following up with colleagues or coordinating a supplier review. Each agent has an identity, memory, computer and workspace inside the customer's tenant, with permissions and auditing. Microsoft says Autopilot will expand to private preview at the end of September; its reliability on long-running business tasks will still need to be tested outside controlled demonstrations.