Microsoft uses the term "Copilot" to refer to AI-based assistance that appears in different forms throughout Microsoft's products and services. Although anything named Copilot behaves similarly and makes use of the same fundamental technologies, there are licensing and implementation differences that mean that not all Copilot features are available to the Cornell community. 

Only Microsoft Copilot Enterprise is currently available at Cornell. The university is evaluating the cost, privacy, security, and licensing requirements of the other Copilot services.

Microsoft Copilot Enterprise (Licensed at Cornell)

Microsoft Copilot Enterprise is currently available to faculty and staff (eventually students). This university-wide “private” version of ChatGPT and Dall-E lets you experiment with generative AI text, image, and coding tools without storing your login and chat data or being used to train the large language models. Follow these instructions to sign in to Copilot when conducting Cornell work.

Microsoft Copilot Enterprise can help you research industry insights, analyze data, or seek new approaches. It can provide access to better answers (including documenting the different things that Microsoft calls "Copilot"), help improve efficiency, and suggest new ways to be creative.

Copilot in Windows (Available on Some Cornell Computers)

Copilot in Windows is available on some university-owned computers. It has been integrated into the Windows 11 operating system as an additional productivity tool. It can help answer questions, check the weather, or adjust Windows settings, like turning on dark mode or snapping windows side by side. It will also answer questions in the same way that Copilot Enterprise will.

Microsoft 365 Copilot (Under Review)

Microsoft 365 Copilot is being reviewed for possible licensing at Cornell. The university is evaluating the cost, privacy, security, and licensing requirements of this service.

To let Microsoft Copilot describe 365 Copilot:

Microsoft 365 Copilot is a powerful tool that integrates AI capabilities into various Microsoft 365 applications. Here are some ways it can assist you:

1. Writing Assistance:

   • Word: It provides grammar and style suggestions as you write documents.
   • Outlook: Helps compose professional emails and suggests relevant phrases.
   • OneNote: Offers ideas for note-taking and organization.

2. Data Analysis:

   • Excel: Generates formulas, charts, and pivot tables based on your data.
   • PowerPoint: Suggests slide layouts and content for presentations.

3. Collaboration:

   • Teams: Provides real-time suggestions during chats and meetings.
   • SharePoint: Assists with content creation and management.

4. Security and Compliance:

   • Microsoft 365 Copilot helps identify potential security risks and compliance violations in your documents and communications.

GitHub Copilot (Under Review)

GitHub Copilot is being reviewed for possible licensing at Cornell. The university is evaluating the cost, privacy, security, and licensing requirements of this service.

Microsoft Copilot describes GitHub Copilot as follows:

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered pair programmer developed by GitHub (owned by Microsoft) in collaboration with OpenAI. It assists developers by providing autocompletions and code suggestions while they write code. Here are some key points about GitHub Copilot:

1. Code Assistance:

   • GitHub Copilot integrates seamlessly with popular integrated development environments (IDEs) such as Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Neovim, and JetBrains IDEs.
   • As you write code, it offers context-aware suggestions, helping you complete lines, functions, and entire code blocks.

2. Natural Language Interaction:

   • You can receive suggestions from GitHub Copilot by either writing the code directly or describing what you want the code to do in natural language comments.
   • It understands your intent and generates relevant code snippets based on your descriptions.

3. Responsible AI:

   • GitHub Copilot includes filters to block offensive language in the prompts and avoids synthesizing suggestions in sensitive contexts.
   • It aims to be a helpful and respectful tool for developers.

4. Enhanced Productivity:

   • By leveraging AI, Copilot accelerates coding tasks, reduces boilerplate code, and provides insights into best practices.
   • It’s like having an AI co-pilot that assists you throughout the software development lifecycle.

Power Platform Copilot (Under Review)

Power Platform Copilot is being reviewed for possible licensing at Cornell. The university is evaluating the cost, privacy, security, and licensing requirements of this service.

Microsoft offers Power Platform Copilot for low-code/no-code development tasks in Power Automate and Power Bi. These AI options provide suggestions and answer questions for app development and analysis.  

Copilot Pro (Personal Accounts)

For Personal Microsoft Accounts Only 

Similar to the features in Microsoft Copilot Enterprise, Microsoft sells access to Copilot for a monthly fee to private individuals.

Additional "Copilot" Tools

in addition to the tools listed above, Copilot helpfully says that Microsoft also offers:

1. Copilot Studio: A dashboard for data tracking and managed integration with third-party solutions like Workday and ServiceNow.
2. Copilot for Sales: Empowers sales professionals with AI assistance.
3. Copilot for Service: Designed for role-based service tasks.
4. Microsoft Security Copilot: Helps protect at machine speed and scale.
5. Dynamics 365 Copilot: Enhances experiences within Dynamics 365.

Currently these Copilot tools are not yet under review for use at Cornell.