80 Copilots later, Microsoft is finally confronting the mess
Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- PCWorld reports that researcher Tey Bannerman discovered 80 distinct instances of Microsoft’s Copilot branding across various products and services.
- This broad branding creates significant fragmentation and potential confusion for users, although each Copilot performs specific functions within different applications like Dynamics 365 and GitHub.
- Microsoft’s widespread AI integration contradicts its stated goal of simplifying Windows 11 and its previous commitments to shrink Copilot for better performance.
Microsoft has previously said it plans to simplify and refocus Windows 11, acknowledging that it has tried to inject its Copilot AI everywhere. And you know what? This is almost literally true.
In a viral article, researcher Tey Bannerman discovered a huge 80 instances of the Copilot brand name in Microsoft applications and services. Eighty! And the post has a nifty little interactive graphic that you can explore and play with, if you want to see them all.
The irony is unavoidable. Microsoft has created an AI platform intended to make us more productive, but in doing so it has created dizzying layers of fragmentation that could confuse the strongest among us.
Some examples of Copilot layers Bannerman found:
- Co-pilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service
- Co-pilot in Viva Glint
- GitHub Copilot Workspace
- Copilot in Microsoft Fabric
And so on. Microsoft could have made Copilot a ubiquitous app (like Windows’ main Copilot app), but instead it added Copilot to various apps and services around its ecosystem.
And you know what? Microsoft actually has some points to make here. “Copilot” can actually represent different models and information stores. The “Copilot” in Microsoft Word may act differently from the general “Copilot” application in Windows, although it shares some common attributes. I would expect Copilot Github CLI to be specifically designed to help with coding.
But think of it this way: You’ll typically fly a regional jet, say, from Sacramento to Las Vegas, with about 70 seats. There are more co-pilots than passengers!
Remember, Microsoft announced that it will reduce Copilot in the future, optimizing the speed of Windows and the Windows ecosystem by reducing the load on AI. If that’s the case, it looks like Microsoft has a lot of low-hanging fruit.
