“Give a task and forget it”: Microsoft launched the Copilot Actions AI function to automate routines

Microsoft has announced a new AI tool, Copilot Actions, for Microsoft 365 Copilot users that lets you automate repetitive tasks. As Microsoft explains, Copilot Actions works on a “set it and forget it” basis, like an AI-powered macro that performs tasks according to specified parameters.

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According to The Verge, the new feature, which is currently in private testing, automates everyday tasks like taking notes from Teams meetings, preparing weekly reports, scheduling meetings, and more.

There are also a number of improvements to Microsoft 365 Copilot across various Office apps. So, early next year, PowerPoint users will be able to translate presentations into 40 languages, and the Copilot Narrative Builder feature will use proprietary templates, speaker notes, built-in transitions and animation to create better drafts of presentations. In addition, Copilot will be able to integrate images from SharePoint into PowerPoint presentations.

Excel is coming soon with a new feature that provides templates with headings, formulas, and visuals for creating tables. Microsoft is also working to improve Copilot in Outlook to make meeting scheduling and agenda creation easier. This feature will be available to users before the end of the month.

Interestingly, Microsoft is actively promoting the idea of ​​Copilot Agents for businesses, including sales and service agents. In particular, AI agents will be implemented in SharePoint. They will be able to summarize documents, answer questions about the data in SharePoint files, and create user agents to handle queries related to a specific SharePoint site or list of files.