Microsoft Rebirth Copilot as an 'AI OS'

Microsoft on the 25th (local time) unveiled a new version of Copilot rebuilt from a chatbot-centered service into an autonomous agent-based platform, declaring a shift toward a new operating system (OS) for the AI era. The overhaul was built around three core tools: 'Home,' 'Code,' and 'Autopilot.'

The new Copilot integrates the previously separate chatbot and 'Cowork' delegation feature, so that it now answers questions and directly executes assigned tasks. Office programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are also embedded within the chat window. Users can now handle document creation, data work, and more all within Copilot, without switching between separate applications.

'Code' is designed so that even ordinary office workers without development experience can create custom applications simply by describing the functionality they want in natural language.

The core of the overhaul is the autonomous agent. 'Autopilot,' renamed from the previous 'Scout,' is a personal agent that operates around the clock; once users assign it a name and role, it carries out its assigned tasks on its own without needing commands every time.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized that AI will not develop in a way that simply replaces human jobs. "Everyone said AI would replace humans, but in reality it did not," Nadella said, adding that "going forward, synergy between human capital and token capital must be realized." Comparing the change to how work transformed before and after the advent of the PC, he introduced the new Copilot as "a new operating system for work."