A while ago Microsoft unveiled its generative AI solution Copilot. Described by Microsoft as an AI-powered assistant that can assist with different tasks, such as finding information, creating content and learning new skills. I asked Copilot, why a legal practitioner might use it and it answered with the following
- “E-discovery: AI can help lawyers scan and review large amounts of electronic documents, such as emails, contracts, or court records, to find relevant information for a case. AI can also use machine learning to learn from the lawyer’s feedback and improve its accuracy and efficiency.
- Legal research: AI can help lawyers find and analyse legal sources, such as statutes, case law, or regulations, to support their arguments or advise their clients. AI can also use natural language processing to understand the meaning and context of legal texts and provide summaries or insights.
- Document management and generation: AI can help lawyers create, edit, and organize legal documents, such as contracts, pleadings, or letters. AI can also use natural language processing to check for errors, inconsistencies, or missing clauses in the documents and suggest improvements or corrections.
- Practice management: AI can help lawyers automate and streamline their administrative tasks, such as billing, scheduling, or reporting. AI can also use voice recognition to enable lawyers to use voice commands or dictation to interact with their software or devices.
- Predictive analytics: AI can help lawyers predict the outcomes, risks, or costs of legal actions, such as litigation, negotiation, or arbitration. AI can also use machine learning to analyse historical data and identify patterns, trends, or correlations that can inform the lawyer’s strategy or decision-making.”
Microsoft offers two versions of its Copilot AI assistant, Copilot for Windows and Copilot for 365. ?Both AI-powered assistants designed to assist with various tasks, however, they have some differences in their features, benefits, and pricing. Here is a brief comparison of the two:
- Copilot for Windows is a built-in feature of Windows 11 that lets you ask questions, get suggestions, and perform actions from the taskbar or with the Win+C keyboard shortcut. It can help you with finding information on the web, changing settings, summarizing web pages, and more. It is free for Windows 11 users and uses Bing Chat as the underlying technology. However, it does not have enterprise-grade security, privacy, or compliance, and it may not be accurate or reliable for complex tasks.
- Copilot for 365 is an AI assistant that is integrated into the Microsoft 365 apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. It can help you with creating and editing documents, generating insights, scheduling meetings, and collaborative activities. It does offer enterprise-grade security, privacy, compliance, and responsible AI, and it uses Microsoft 365 Chat as the new hero experience. It is available for $30 per user per month for enterprise customers, or as part of Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 plans.
Both Copilot for Windows and Copilot for 365 use natural language processing and generative AI to understand requests and provide relevant responses. They also let you choose a conversation style (more creative, more balanced, or more precise) to suit your preferences. However, Copilot for 365 is more advanced and tailored for work-focused tasks, while Copilot for Windows is more general and convenient for everyday computing.
