Microsoft Copilot just got a major update

While it's admirable that Microsoft has now decided that it wants Copilot to truly compete with other AI chatbots, its major updates only help to solve a small part of this difficult task. Unfortunately, Copilot still has a long way to go before it can truly be recognized as one of the best chatbots.

Copilot gets 5 awesome new features

That said, Copilot seems to be lagging behind the times, but Microsoft periodically releases a series of massive updates.

Search Engines and Deep Research

Copilot has introduced a Deep Research feature similar to ChatGPT . After entering the prompt, the software will perform a comprehensive research on the web to find the answer you are looking for.

You'll then see this information presented in one of several ways. Sometimes Copilot will provide a table with everything you need. Other times, you'll see bullet points and blocks of text. After trying out ChatGPT and Copilot's Deep Research tools, I think ChatGPT is much better, but at least Copilot has a starting point to build on.

In addition to Deep Research , Copilot also has a new search feature in Bing.

Copilot Podcasts

Copilot Podcasts is arguably the coolest feature in the software's new update. With this tool, you can create your own podcasts using AI. The software can take your favorite topics and create something that you can listen to while running, walking, cooking dinner, or in any other situation where you would normally listen to a podcast.

In addition to creating your own podcast, Copilot will give you the opportunity to add your own opinions, so you'll feel more like you're a guest on your own show than listening to something that's clearly been generated by AI.

Aside from Copilot, you can create and listen to AI-generated podcasts (though they're pretty controversial) in many other places.

Shopping Suggestions

Trying to find the exact product you want to buy online can be a pain, but asking for help can make the process less frustrating. In a recent major update, Copilot introduced a feature that lets you see shopping suggestions.

Copilot acts as a virtual shopping assistant. You can use it to get recommendations based on your preferences and compare different items to see which one best suits your needs.

The Copilot shopping assistant allows you to research products more efficiently than using a regular prompt. We recommend giving it a try and comparing it to other options, like Perplexity's AI Shopping feature or ChatGPT's built-in shopping-focused search engine.

Actions

Copilot launched an enterprise version of Actions in late 2024, but its capabilities have now been expanded to the consumer version. With the updated version of Copilot, you can perform a variety of actions on a variety of websites. For example, you can use the tool to book tickets to an event you want to see.

With this tool, it becomes much easier to perform the necessary actions even when you don't want to. So, this is one of the best ways to save time on your daily tasks.

What else did Copilot introduce?

According to Microsoft, Copilot can now generate more personalized responses.

With your permission, Copilot will now remember what you say, so it will learn your likes and dislikes as well as details about your life: Your dog's name, that difficult project at work, what keeps you motivated to stick to your new workout routine.

You'll also have access to Copilot Vision on your mobile and Windows devices; the feature was originally introduced last year. With Copilot Vision, you can grant the software access to your camera and let it provide context about what you should do next.

Another new feature in Copilot is Pages, which lets you brainstorm and do other things in a less-distracted space.

Why are these changes too late for Copilot?

Introducing these new features and switching to Microsoft's models is a big step forward, but closing the gap between Copilot and other AI tools will take more time. ChatGPT and Perplexity have grown significantly since their initial launches, and their innovation doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

While some of the features in Copilot are great, most of them aren't unique. For example, ChatGPT has a much better Deep Research tool than Copilot. Doing the same thing as everyone else doesn't make Copilot suddenly stand out.

How can Copilot improve its chances of competing with other AI tools?

Microsoft needs to focus on Copilot's unique selling points if it wants to compete with ChatGPT and others. Actions, for example, is a great feature; Microsoft should spend more time developing these. Likewise, Copilot has done a great job with its Microsoft 365 integrations; it should continue to focus on that.

It also seems like Copilot has been an afterthought for Microsoft up until now. If its attention span is fragmented, it will be hard to compete with OpenAI, whose primary focus is on developing AI technologies. For Copilot to become one of the best assistants, it will need to focus more on the core.