Microsoft continues to expand the capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot, with recent updates focusing on enhanced AI models, new agent functionality, and improved user experiences across its suite of applications. As of , users have access to GPT-5.2 within Copilot Chat, offering a choice between faster responses and more in-depth reasoning.
GPT-5.2 and Enhanced Copilot Chat
The introduction of GPT-5.2 in Copilot Chat provides users with greater control over the type of response they receive. A “Quick Response” option delivers immediate answers, while a “Think Deeper” mode leverages the model’s enhanced reasoning capabilities for more complex queries. Microsoft highlights that GPT-5.2 demonstrates improved instruction following, better performance in math and coding tasks, and clearer explanations compared to previous models. This update is available across Windows, Web, Android, iOS, and Mac platforms.
According to Microsoft, this flexibility aims to enhance productivity by tailoring response modes to different workflows. For individuals, the update provides control over response depth, improving efficiency and clarity. The company emphasizes the business impact of these improvements, suggesting they will allow users to handle both simple and complex tasks with greater precision.
Expanding AI Agents Across Microsoft 365
Microsoft is actively deploying AI agents within its core applications, including Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook. These agents are designed to proactively assist users, going beyond simple prompt-based interactions to initiate tasks, track progress, and offer suggestions. The agents leverage Microsoft Graph to access relevant files, past decisions, and contextual information, aiming to provide more useful and relevant assistance.
In Teams, the new agents can help manage teamwork by setting up meeting agendas, organizing files, and facilitating community discussions. They also monitor accountability, ensuring follow-up tasks are logged, assigned, and tracked to completion. Similar functionality is being introduced in SharePoint, further streamlining collaborative workflows.
New Features and Enhancements – October 2025 Update
The update to Microsoft 365 Copilot brought a range of user capabilities, including quality and performance enhancements to Copilot Chat. New features included a new model, calendar search, and Bing web cards within Copilot Chat, with previews available on mobile and search enhancements for the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. Audio recaps and new file summaries were added for Copilot in Teams, while Copilot in PowerPoint gained speaker notes and translation capabilities.
Agent Mode in Word and Excel
Agent Mode is now available in Word and Excel, further extending the proactive assistance offered by Copilot. While specific details of the functionality within these applications are not detailed in the provided information, the introduction of Agent Mode suggests Copilot is capable of taking initiative within document creation and data analysis workflows.
Improvements to Outlook and Researcher Copilot
Meeting planning within Outlook has been improved through Copilot integration. Updates were also made to Researcher Copilot, though the nature of these updates is not specified. These enhancements aim to streamline common tasks and provide users with more efficient tools for managing their schedules and conducting research.
Copilot Control System and Admin Tools
Microsoft has focused on providing administrators with greater control over Copilot features. Features within the Copilot Control System are now more easily discoverable on the Microsoft 365 Public Roadmap. New reports and management tools have been added to the Microsoft 365 admin center, and team views are now available in the Copilot Dashboard. These tools are designed to help organizations manage and monitor Copilot usage effectively.
Wave 2 Innovations and BizChat
Effective , Microsoft released the second wave of innovations for Microsoft 365 Copilot. This wave included naming changes and the introduction of BizChat, alongside advanced AI capabilities within OneDrive, SharePoint, Excel, Teams, Outlook, and Word. Details regarding BizChat’s specific functionality are not provided in the available information.
Session Persistence in Copilot Chat
A new session persistence enhancement for Copilot Chat allows users to seamlessly continue conversations even after navigating away from a session. Copilot instantly creates an entry in the navigation pane’s session history, preserving the conversation and allowing users to easily pick up where they left off. This feature aims to improve user experience and prevent loss of progress during complex interactions.
Microsoft’s ongoing development of Copilot demonstrates a commitment to integrating AI more deeply into its productivity suite. The focus on proactive agents, enhanced models like GPT-5.2, and improved administrative controls suggests a strategy aimed at empowering users while maintaining security and compliance.
