Microsoft has launched Copilot Pro, a $20/month service that integrates GPT-4 Turbo into several Microsoft Office 365 applications.
Microsoft’s Bing Chat, now rebranded as Copilot, gives users a taste of GPT-4’s power without having to pay for a ChatGPT Plus subscription. The free chatbot interface allows users to experience similar functionality that OpenAI charges $20/month for on its ChatGPT Plus plan.
The 4,000-character limit on Copilot and sluggish response speed make many users prefer ChatGPT Plus despite the monthly cost. With the launch of Microsoft Pro, ChatGPT Plus could also be about to lose paying subscribers.
Copilot vs Copilot Pro vs ChatGPT Plus
The big advantage of Copilot Pro is that it takes Copilot functionality beyond the chatbot interface and integrates it with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
If you need to summarize a document, compile an email, or get help with a pivot table, there’s not a must copy and paste between the chatbot and your Microsoft 365 application.
Copilot Pro can generate a complete PowerPoint slide deck or analyze data and draw graphs in Excel.
Pro users also get priority access to GPT-4 Turbo, while free users only get access during off-peak times.
Pro users also get 100 every day boost credits in comparison with the 15 that free users get. Boost credits jump you to the front of the compute resource queue while you’re in a rush for a picture to be generated.
Pro users may create Copilot GPTs, essentially the identical as OpenAI’s GPTs but accessible in your Microsoft 365 applications.
If you’re already paying for a Microsoft 365 subscription, then the additional $20/month could also be a productivity boost value paying for. Users who join for Copilot Pro will find it hard to justify keeping their ChatGPT Plus subscription.
Copilot for Microsoft 365
Microsoft also announced that Copilot for Microsoft 365 is now available to consumers and small businesses. Previously the tool was only made available to enterprises at a $30/month license fee and a 300-seat minimum signup.
For the additional $10 users get additional features that aren’t available within the Copilot Pro plans. You get a real-time intelligent office assistant that works across your entire organization’s data.
Copilot plan comparison. Source: Microsoft
It may join and summarize Teams meetings, which shouldn’t be an option on the Pro plan. If you would like an AI office assistant that has full knowledge and an outline of your entire interactions using Microsoft 365 apps then the additional $10 could also be value it.
Copilot for Microsoft 365 example interaction. Source: Microsoft
You could ask Microsoft 365 to make a summary of motion items mentioned in a Teams meeting and email it to your team together with the newest stats from an Excel file. Copilot Pro is less integrated and offers functionality inside individual apps, quite than across them.
Microsoft is OpenAI’s biggest investor and the businesses claim that they’re partners, not direct competitors. This latest move by Microsoft might find yourself stealing paying customers from OpenAI though.
If OpenAI releases GPT-5, then it could give ChatGPT Plus subscribers an excellent reason to stay around.
