Microsoft has unveiled a new all-in-one Copilot app that combines chat, coding assistance, and autonomous agents in a single package. The app lets users pick from multiple AI models, a move aimed at strengthening Microsoft's position as Anthropic and OpenAI intensify competition for enterprise AI customers. Shares of Microsoft rose about 3 percent in early trading following the announcement.
Chat, coding, and autonomous agents combined into one app
The new app is organized around three main sections: Home, Code, and Autopilot. Home pairs the chat experience with Microsoft's workplace assistant "Cowork," serving as the starting point for everyday questions and document work. Code lets users build apps, tools, and software purely through natural-language instructions.
Autopilot is a revamped version of "Scout," which Microsoft introduced in June. It lets organizations keep autonomous AI agents running continuously in the cloud within their Microsoft 365 environment. Rather than being framed as just a feature, Autopilot agents are positioned as "digital coworkers" with their own accounts in a company's internal directory, designed to handle routine tasks without human intervention.
The app also integrates core functions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint directly, letting users create and edit documents and spreadsheets with AI assistance without switching to a separate application.
Model choice extends to Anthropic's Opus, with a pointed remark on its rival's approach
One notable feature of the new app is its flexible model selection: users can choose between OpenAI's GPT-series models, Anthropic's Opus-series models, or let the app pick automatically, avoiding lock-in to a single AI vendor. Jacob Andreou, the Microsoft executive vice president leading Copilot, said that sending a company's most sensitive files down to a local machine running inside a virtual machine "was a complete nonstarter" — a remark widely read as targeting the architecture behind Anthropic's own Claude Cowork.
CEO Satya Nadella also argued that companies should be able to run their own "private evals" and swap out AI models as needed rather than depend on a single provider. Annie Pearl, the corporate vice president overseeing the Copilot product, said the team built the app specifically to withstand enterprise scrutiny on security and compliance, and the app includes a cost-management view that lets organizations see how much each employee is spending on AI usage.
Rollout will be gradual, mixing a free tier with usage-based pricing
The app will offer a free tier covering basic chat functionality, while more intensive workloads — Code, Autopilot, and the newest large models — will be billed on a usage basis. Code is set to reach a group of early-access customers by the end of the month, with a preview for Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro subscribers planned later in 2026. Autopilot will also begin a limited private preview by month's end.
The push comes as competition in the AI assistant market intensifies: OpenAI launched its own "super app" in July 2026, and Meta has rolled out "Muse," a personal autonomous-agent app of its own. Microsoft appears to be leaning on the enterprise customer base it has built through Windows and its office software to position Copilot not merely as a chatbot, but as a platform that can take on entire workflows.
Summary
Microsoft has unveiled a new Copilot app that unifies chat, coding assistance, and autonomous agents into a single product. By offering the flexibility to choose between OpenAI's and Anthropic's models and by integrating Microsoft's Office suite directly, the company is looking to sharpen its edge in the enterprise AI market. The rollout will happen in stages, combining a free tier with usage-based pricing for advanced features, and investors responded favorably, sending Microsoft's stock higher.
