Revolutionizing Copilots: The Power of ‘Real Talk’ Mode and Group Chats

Microsoft is unveiling some significant enhancements to its Copilot AI assistant today. Among the new features are a groups function that allows multiple individuals to join a Copilot chat, a memory feature that enables Copilot to learn personal details, a “real talk” mode that reintroduces some of Copilot’s original personality, and more.

The Copilot Groups feature is tailored for groups of friends, classmates, and team members to collaborate in a single Copilot session. Microsoft is aiming this feature at those who need to brainstorm ideas or solve problems together, with support for up to 32 people in Copilot Groups to enhance the social aspect of AI.

According to Jacob Andreou, CVP of product and growth at Microsoft AI, smaller groups of two or three are likely to dominate the usage of Copilot Groups. He anticipates that it will be more about small groups rather than integrating AI into existing long-running group chats.

You can add friends, classmates, or teammates with the Copilot Groups feature.

Image: Microsoft

While Copilot Groups seems geared towards work environments, it is initially launching in the US consumer version of Copilot and not the business-focused Microsoft 365 Copilot. However, there are plans to potentially expand it to work contexts in the future to enhance productivity.

Microsoft is also introducing a new “real talk” mode for Copilot, which will adjust responses based on the user’s tone and provide more challenging interactions. While not as sassy as its earlier iteration, Copilot is expected to exhibit more personality in its responses.

The real talk mode will offer more personalized responses and engage users in a conversational manner. It will not be the default mode but can be accessed through a dropdown menu and is limited to text interactions, excluding Copilot’s voice mode.

Enhancements to Copilot’s memory capabilities will enable it to retain information about users, their relationships, activities, and projects. Users will have control over what Copilot remembers and can delete specific details as needed, fostering a more conversational experience.

In addition, Copilot will improve its responses to health-related queries by leveraging trusted sources like Harvard Health. It will also assist users in finding suitable healthcare providers based on location, language, and other preferences.

Microsoft is updating the Copilot voice mode to introduce Mico, a character similar to Clippy, with real-time expressions and a Learn Live mode for tutoring. These changes aim to enhance user interaction and engagement with Copilot.

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• Tom Warren
• AI
• Microsoft
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