Microsoft wants to turn Copilot into a chat-like platform where multiple users can join

When Microsoft introduced Copilot to the world 3 years ago, and when it made it part of the Windows experience by replacing Cortana and turning it into the ultimate AI assistant, we still had no idea how it would fit the greater picture.

Now, that the Redmond-based tech giant has changed the AI’s UI, and has even added its name to the ill-inspired rebrand of Microsoft 365, which is now Microsoft 365 Copilot, it’s hard to see what Microsoft wants to accomplish with this tool.

However, we might have a clue: Microsoft recently published a paper called COPILOT FOR MULTI-USER, MULTI-STEP COLLABORATIONS, where the company patented a technology that envisions a chat system that uses advanced AI language models to answer questions or messages with a multi-user mechanic. Basically, Copilot might become a sort of MSN Messenger (remember it?) that can host multiple users but also employ AI capabilities to solve a variety of tasks.

Imagine a chat that multiple people can join and use. This chat is powered by advanced AI models (in this case, Copilot) that help provide thoughtful responses. Copilot understands and generates human-like text, making the chat more natural and intelligent.

The system allows many users to join the same chat session. Each user can interact with the chat and make changes. If any user makes a change (like adding a message or modifying the chat), Copilot updates the chat for everyone. So, all users always see the latest version.

Copilot also saves the entire chat history. If users return later, they can pick up where they left off without losing previous messages or changes. In simple terms, it’s like having a shared conversation space where an AI helps answer questions, multiple people can join, and the chat keeps track of everything so you can continue later.

It makes sense if this is the future Microsoft envisions for Copilot. The AI assistant is still not so popular among Windows users: a year ago, only about 50% of those responding to our survey said they were using it regularly.

The same study unveiled that almost 50% of Windows users will stop using Copilot if it means they’ll have to pay for it. With the latest price change for Microsoft 365 services (Microsoft 365 Copilot, now) and the addition of Copilot, the AI model won’t see such a growth in popularity.

However, Microsoft turning Copilot into an AI-powered chat system that supports multiple users at once could breathe new life into the already-exhausting idea of AI. The Redmond-based tech giant already introduced a similar model, the Copilot Interpreter Agent, in Microsoft Teams, which provides real-time speech-to-speech interpretation during team meetings, so it definitely has tools to bring this technology to life.

You can read the full paper here.