Microsoft is integrating the technology of ChatGPT, one of the most widely discussed artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the world, into its popular workplace software suite, Microsoft 365. Dubbed as Copilot, the system will be integrated into Microsoft’s Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook applications.

Microsoft boss Satya Nadella said it would “fundamentally change the way we work.”

Microsoft has integrated the technology behind ChatGPT, the world’s most talked-about AI system, into its ubiquitous work software, Microsoft 365.

The system, called Copilot, will be embedded into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and its functions include summarizing key discussion points on Teams, drafting emails, analyzing long email threads and documents, creating summaries and graphs on Excel spreadsheets, and creating PowerPoint presentations from prompts.

While Copilot is not simply ChatGPT, it is based on the same language-learning model, which has the ability to provide human-like responses to complicated or abstract questions, but sometimes the responses can be inaccurate or provide invented information.

Microsoft acknowledges that Copilot may also occasionally be “usefully wrong.”

“We all want to focus on the 20% of our work that really matters, but 80% of our time is consumed with busy work that bogs us down. Copilot lightens the load,” the tech giant said in a statement.

Details of the roll-out have not yet been disclosed.

On Tuesday, OpenAI announced the launch of GPT4, an updated version of the language model powering ChatGPT. Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in OpenAI.

According to OpenAI, GPT4 has “more advanced reasoning skills” than ChatGPT, but the company warned that it may still be susceptible to sharing disinformation.

ChatGPT is a strong contender in the global race for AI chatbots, with Google’s Bard as a rival. Meta has its own chatbot, Blenderbot, while in China, the tech giant Baidu has released an enhanced version of its chatbot, Ernie, also known as Wenxin Yiyan.

This marks a significant achievement for AI, particularly for the world of work, as Microsoft integrates the capabilities of ChatGPT into its widely used Office365 programs, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This places it directly into the daily routine of millions of workers worldwide.

While some individuals have already been using ChatGPT for tasks such as coding, writing speeches, and creating website content, most have been using it for fun, such as writing poems or jokes.

With the introduction of Copilot, the potential applications are now endless, from summarizing lengthy reports for client meetings to creating stylish PowerPoint presentations in seconds. Microsoft claims that this will free up users’ time to focus on other important tasks, but there is a possibility that Copilot could eventually take over those duties as well.

While OpenAI has launched an updated version of ChatGPT, known as GPT4, which features more advanced reasoning capabilities, it may still generate misleading information. In addition to ChatGPT, other AI chatbots such as Google’s Bard, Meta’s Blenderbot, and Baidu’s Ernie are also competing in the global AI chatbot race.

Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Although rollout details have not been revealed yet, the integration of this technology into Microsoft 365 is a significant step towards widespread adoption of AI in the workplace.