Microsoft unveils Copilot Cowork AI agent

Copilot Cowork automates tasks across multiple Microsoft 365 applications like Outlook, Teams, Excel, and PowerPoint. It uses Microsoft's WorkIQ to understand context from emails, meetings, files, and data to execute tasks. Users describe the desired outcome, and Cowork creates a plan, offering checkpoints for review and allowing users to approve, modify, or pause actions. One key use case is calendar management, where Cowork reviews your Outlook calendar, identifies conflicts, and proposes changes. It can also prepare for meetings by gathering relevant information and creating briefing documents. Another use case is creating product launch plans, including competitive comparisons and pitch decks. Copilot Cowork is built on Anthropic's Claude and shares the same "agentic harness" as Anthropic's Claude Cowork. However, Copilot Cowork runs in the Microsoft cloud, providing enterprise-level data protection, whereas Claude Cowork runs locally. Microsoft is positioning the cloud approach as an advantage for enterprise users. Microsoft is offering Copilot Cowork as part of the Microsoft 365 E7 "Frontier Suite" for $99 per user per month. The E7 suite includes Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Agent 365, and security functionality. Agent 365, which provides a control plane to monitor and govern AI agents, will also be available separately for $15 per user per month.