Microsoft Revamps Copilot: Autopilot Agent and Usage-Based Pricing

Copilot changes model and form. Microsoft introduces a persistent agent called Autopilot and shifts to a usage-based billing model for key components. Two new sections, Home and Code, are being launched with Office integrations, while IT controls and FinOps tools are set to manage costs. The company plans to roll out the enterprise deployment starting in September and is also targeting the general public.

Usage-Based Billing, Model Choices, and FinOps Tools Arrive

Microsoft is adopting a usage-based billing model for Autopilot, Code, and Cowork, replacing the fixed-rate pricing. The standard Copilot license now only covers chat and Office application integrations, as the publisher withdraws from flat-rate AI plans. An auto-router now selects the model used for Office integrations based on criteria such as accuracy, speed, and cost. IT administrators can restrict the available model families to specific user groups. According to Microsoft, usage-based pricing may also leverage cutting-edge models like Astra from OpenAI and Fable from Anthropic. New FinOps-for-AI tools are being offered to help businesses manage their expenses. The chosen model is comparable to that of ChatGPT Enterprise beyond a certain quota.

Autopilot Becomes a Persistent Agent Triggerable in Teams and Outlook

Microsoft launches Autopilot, an agent based on OpenClaw, formerly known as Scout. The company presents a proactive and always-on operation, with each instance having its own cloud, workspace, storage, and identity. The agent can monitor Teams channels, coordinate vendor assessments, and handle recurring tasks without human intervention. It is triggered by @mention in Teams, Outlook, or documents and continues execution in the cloud when the user is offline. Jared Spataro indicates that the agent relies on Microsoft IQ to understand the actual functioning of an organization and incorporates permissions, auditing, and governance.

Two Reorganized Sections and Integrated Office, with "Today" on the Horizon

Copilot is now organized around the sections Home, Code, and Autopilot. The Code section offers individuals without development skills the ability to design applications, dashboards, or automations in natural language, using GitHub Copilot technology as well as a secure environment called Copilot Managed Runtime. The Home section brings together chat and collaboration functions. A feature called "Today" is set to centralize emails, calendar, Teams messages, and tasks into a single dashboard, with a private version planned for October. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are now directly accessible from Copilot.

Deployment Timeline and Ambitions Beyond Enterprises

The Home and Code sections are set to be deployed in the coming weeks through the Frontier program. Autopilot is expected to be in private preview by the end of September. The Code section should be accessible later this year to Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro subscribers. Satya Nadella plans to extend Autopilot to consumers, noting the existence of over 100 million subscribers within the Microsoft ecosystem. He views the enterprise agent market as significantly larger than the cloud market and believes that, on the consumer side, agents could replace existing intermediaries.