Copilot and ChatGPT: What you need to know
ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) version 3 came on the scene in November 2022 and the world was changed, unless you lived completely off grid, and even then you probably heard about it. While ChatGPT was not the first of its kind, it sure was the first to explode publicly; all of a sudden we could ask a computer questions like we’d ask a person, and it would give an answer like a person, only faster and maybe better.
The other thing that happened was the emergence out of obscurity from M.I.T and similar technology labs of the acronym A.I. It stands for artificial intelligence. I don’t like it, but the creator of ChatGPT is OpenAI, and after the announcement, all anybody could talk about is A.I. this and A.I. that. I don’t think there is anything artificial about the intelligence in question, it is real and learning and getting smarter. Yes, it is not human, it is machine, but it is not artificial. I digress, but I needed to rant about that. Sigh.
The Initiator
ChatGPT-3 was free, is free, but the computational resources to execute it are extraordinary, enough to make any environmentally concerned A.I. user blush. It costs money to warm the earth, err, run intelligent machines, and it turns out that Microsoft was/ is backing OpenAI, but OpenAI still needed to be profitable, and ChatGPT-4 was released in March 2023 starting at $20 USD a month.
ChatGPT understands language, and for the most part will answer any question you ask without judgement (for the most part.) No human matches its breadth and depth and intelligence. It should be noted that ChatGPT-3 is not connected to the internet, for better or for worse.
The Competition
Obviously, Microsoft wasn’t backing OpenAI out of benevolence, and soon there were announcements of Microsoft integrations, otherwise known as Copilot. Copilot for personal users was release online and for iOS and Android in December-ish 2023. It is free, uses OpenAI technology, and works with or without a free personal Microsoft account. I asked ChapGPT-3 about Copilot’s inception. Its response: It's a collaboration between GitHub and OpenAI. Apparently it is heavily trained in writing software code.
I have used both ChatGPT and Copilot and as far as I can tell Copilot is just as intelligent and personable despite other machines and humans suggesting that it is less conversational.
The Smoking Gun
In March 2023, Microsoft announced a special A.I. integration with their flagship 365 product, and Copilot for Microsoft 365 was made available to the 365 business users on November 1, 2023. I’m writing about it now because I’m ready to recommend it to customers.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a powerful and intelligent assistant that can help you with various tasks related to your work. It can:
- Write emails, reports, presentations, and other documents based on your inputs and preferences. You can ask Copilot to draft, edit, or summarize your content, or suggest the best words, phrases, or sentences to use.
- Search and analyze information from various sources, such as the web, your files, your emails, or your calendar. You can ask Copilot to find relevant facts, figures, or data, or perform calculations, conversions, or translations for you.
- Create and manage tasks, events, reminders, and appointments. You can ask Copilot to schedule, reschedule, or cancel meetings, or send invitations, confirmations, or follow-ups. You can also ask Copilot to create, update, or complete tasks, or notify you of any deadlines, conflicts, or changes.
- Learn from your feedback and preferences. You can rate, review, or comment on Copilot's suggestions, or give commands, instructions, or corrections. Copilot will use your input to improve its performance and tailor its responses to your style, tone, and needs.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 works seamlessly across all your devices and platforms. You can access it through a dedicated app, a browser extension, or a voice or chat interface. You can also integrate it with other Microsoft products, such as Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote. Copilot for Microsoft 365 is designed to make your work easier, faster, and more enjoyable.
Every time I start a new paragraph in Word (where I’m drafting this blog), it prompts me to use Copilot, the above in red italics was written by Copilot when I asked it to write about its features.
What it didn’t offer to write about is its cost. At the time of writing, It costs $490 CAD a year per person and Microsoft doesn’t offer a monthly option like the other 365 products. That being said, your I.T. service provider might have a monthly option for you. Whatever the cost, Copilot for 365 delivers ROI for the person who uses it on a regular basis.
Conclusion
I’m really only scratching the surface of A.I., which acronym has become so terrible overused, worse than “the cloud.” There are a few other generative systems out there that I haven’t touched on. If you haven’t already, I’d recommend connecting to ChatGPT or Copilot. If you’re a 365 user, then I’d choose Copilot over ChatGPT.
Disclaimer:
Depending on your industry using publicly available “AI” offerings may be inappropriate. For example, everything sent to ChatGPT is used to further train and improve it. A lawyer used ChatGPT in court and got themselves into very hot water. If you are required to maintain confidentiality, using AI products without reviewing their terms of service must be done as if everything would be visible to the public. Trade secrets have even been leaked through ChatGPT. That is not to say that the products are unsafe, but assumptions can get you burnt, so some due diligence is especially important. If you are uncertain, we can help!
When and if you become regular with Copilot, and you want to level up your efficiency, give some serious consideration to Copilot for 365.