Microsoft Copilot or Another AI Product?

Many of our clients choose Microsoft Copilot as their AI tool because it sits within the Microsoft ecosystem, giving easy access to documents and security peace of mind.  But is Copilot really the best AI product choice?

When Microsoft released Copilot in 2023, its performance was underwhelming compared to others, such as ChatGPT.  The Ember Technology team recommended other AI products.

About the same time, Microsoft purchased approx 27% of OpenAI, famous for ChatGPT. We expected Microsoft’s AI knowledge to increase and Copilot to improve, but the results were still lacklustre.

Today, Copilot has undoubtedly improved and, like the other products, has advantages that suit some and not others.  It depends on your business needs.

Probably the greatest benefit for our clients is that it is built into Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.  It is also embedded into Windows and its internet browser, Edge.  Having assistance inside your tools is very convenient.

Microsoft’s enterprise framework is very secure, providing peace of mind.

However, there are disadvantages to Copilot for many clients.  If you use applications outside of the Microsoft environment, usefulness drops compared to other tools.

Copilot licensing can be expensive, especially for large teams.  We expect unit pricing to drop, especially as Chinese products massively undercut the pricing of US products.

Copilot is limited in “deep thinking” compared to others like ChatGPT and Gemini.  It doesn’t handle complexity like some of the others.

So, if you want an AI assistant to do relatively simple tasks within your Microsoft ecosystem, then Copilot is a good option.  If you have specialised tasks, require “deep thinking” or use AI tools beyond Microsoft, then clients typically opt for a product focused on their needs.

The Ember Technology team uses all the main AI products and is well placed to advise on what might work best for you.