By Ken Muthomi - Reporter
Kenya, 19 April 2026 - Microsoft has announced key upgrades to Microsoft 365 Copilot, in a move aimed at boosting productivity for individuals and businesses using the AI assistant.
At the centre of the update is a new feature dubbed Copilot Cowork. According to Microsoft, this feature is engineered to handle assignments by converting user instructions to structured workflows.
For example, users can describe an outcome, such as preparing a monthly budget review, and the system generates a plan, executes tasks across tools like email, calendars, and documents, and provides real-time progress updates.
"Describe the outcome you want, and Copilot Cowork creates a plan, reasons across your tools and files, and carries work forward with visible progress and opportunities to steer," Microsoft said.
" Organizations like Capital Group had early access to Copilot Cowork and report already seeing its value—from planning, scheduling, and creating deliverables to preparing for executive reviews," it added.
Meanwhile, the company has also introduced new upgrades to its Researcher tool, which has been designed to handle complex analytical tasks.
Microsoft says that a new ‘Critique’ feature, which utilises a combination of two models, separates the writing and reviewing process by assigning the models to generate and refine the output, to improve the overall quality.
Furthermore, a new “Model Council” on the tool will enable users to compare outputs from multiple AI models side by side, thus supporting more informed decisions.
“The results are measurable—Researcher now scores 13.8% higher on the Deep Research Accuracy, Completeness, and Objectivity, or DRACO benchmark, the industry standard for deep research quality,” the company said.
Microsoft maintained that the assistant is protected by built-in security measures, allowing businesses to accelerate AI adoption while still having control over sensitive information.
The tech company says that the latest adjustments are built on a “multi-model advantage,” which combines AI technologies from other companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, an approach that will allow Copilot to draw on multiple AI systems to improve accuracy and task execution.
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