Microsoft has added Copilot functionality to the Microsoft 365 Office app, increasing the cost of Personal and Home subscriptions by $3 per month. Existing users can choose to keep the old plan, but without access to artificial intelligence features.
Image source: Microsoft
Previously, access to Copilot AI Assistant for Word, Excel and PowerPoint was available only through a separate Copilot Pro subscription for $20 per month. The feature will now be built into basic Microsoft 365 packages at an increasing cost. However, as The Verge reports, despite the change to the base subscription, Copilot Pro will remain available at the same $20 per month price for those who want priority access to the latest AI models and features.
Microsoft initially tested Copilot integration into Microsoft 365 in Australia, New Zealand and some Asian countries. Now artificial intelligence functions will be available to users almost all over the world. According to Gareth Oystryk, senior director of marketing for Copilot Pro and Microsoft 365, the company has always strived to make Copilot more mainstream. “We know that users are willing to pay to integrate AI into Microsoft 365, and our goal is to be able to convey the value of this to as many people as possible,” Oistrick said.
Microsoft is also introducing alternative plans for current Personal Classic and Family Classic subscribers. These plans will allow you to maintain the same subscription price without including AI features. However, as the company noted, such plans will be devoid of significant updates, limited to only security updates and minor improvements. New subscribers, on the other hand, will automatically gain access to AI if they upgrade their plan.
Interestingly, as part of the changes, Microsoft is also launching an AI credit system that will work in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote. Office Suite subscribers will receive monthly credits to use AI features such as image generation in Designer or other Windows applications. At the same time, Copilot Pro users will have unlimited access to all features. For those who don’t want to use AI, Microsoft will add the ability to turn off Copilot – you can already do this in Word, and in the coming weeks in Excel and PowerPoint.