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Microsoft Copilot: How to Use This Powerful AI Assistant

Otto Williams

Jul 26, 2024

Unlock the future of productivity with Microsoft Copilot! 🚀 Dive into our latest guide to mastering this powerful AI assistant and see how it can transform your work. At Spectro Agency, we're at the forefront of innovation, offering top-notch digital marketing, app creation, AI-powered solutions, chatbots, software, and website development. Join us at spectroagency.com to elevate your business to new heights!

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant stands as a formidable tool designed to streamline and enhance professional productivity. Whether you’re new to AI or a seasoned pro, this guide will navigate you through the essentials of Copilot, from understanding what it is and how to sign up, to mastering the art of effective prompts and creating stunning images.


Additionally, you’ll learn how to manage your Copilot account to ensure a seamless and efficient user experience. Dive in to unlock the full potential of Microsoft’s Copilot and transform the way you work.


**What is Microsoft Copilot?**


Copilot is Microsoft’s flagship AI assistant, an advanced large language model available on the web, through iOS, and Android mobile apps. It integrates with apps across Microsoft’s 365 suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Launched in February 2023 as a replacement for the retired Cortana, Copilot initially branded as Bing Chat, was rebranded in September 2023, and integrated into Windows 11 through a December patch. Running on the Microsoft Prometheus model built from OpenAI’s GPT-4, Copilot benefits from Microsoft’s substantial investment in OpenAI, which reached nearly $13 billion in April 2023. The close relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI ensures significant functional overlap between ChatGPT and Copilot.


Copilot is available as a 365 integration for real-time summarization and analysis on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and emails, and as a web- and app-based chatbot. While the chatbot is free, Microsoft offers subscription packages that provide additional features and capabilities. Free users have limited chat interactions and cannot integrate Copilot into 365 applications. The $20/month Copilot Pro plan offers greater model access, more chats before timeout, and faster text-based requests, with accelerated image generation using Dall-E and Designer.


**How to Sign Up for Copilot**


To sign up for Copilot, visit the Copilot website and click the sign-in button. Choose whether you’re applying with a personal or a work/school account, then follow the on-screen instructions. To upgrade to Pro, sign in and click on the “Try Copilot Pro” buttons, and follow the prompts with a credit card ready. Microsoft offers the first month free, with a $20 charge for subsequent months.


**Getting Started with Copilot**


Upon logging in, the Copilot homepage offers various features. Switch between Copilot and Notebook options for different tasks, and use the 32k token context window at the bottom of the screen to upload documents and images for analysis. Voice queries are possible via the microphone icon. Adjust response styles with the More Creative, More Balanced, and More Precise options. Manage accounts and settings via the top-right user menu and the settings menu. The Chats and Plugins menus on the right provide historical chat lists and API calls to specialized services like Instacart, Kayak, and Klarna.


**How to Effectively Use Prompts in Copilot**


To receive accurate responses, provide clear, detailed instructions. For instance, a general prompt like “write a poem about nature” yields a basic result. However, specifying “write a poem about nature in the style of Homer’s Iliad” produces a more tailored response. Including as much detail and context as possible ensures precise outputs, reducing the need for iterative refining.


**How to Create Images in Copilot**


Generating images in Copilot requires clear, specific prompts. Avoid subjective terms and instead describe the desired image in detail. For example, instead of “draw a picture of a pretty frog playing music at a concert,” use “draw an image of a frog in a top hat and tuxedo playing the violin in a packed concert hall, photorealistic.” Refine and reiterate until achieving the desired image output.


**How to Manage Your Copilot Account**


To delete a chat session, hover over the chat and click the trashcan icon. To clear history entirely, sign in to the privacy dashboard with your Microsoft account, navigate to the Copilot activity history section, and select “Clear all Copilot activity history and search history.”


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Source news: [Digital Trends](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-use-microsoft-copilot-free/)

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