The New Era of Copilot: 13 Changes Announced on Sept 25 That Redefine Work

On September 25, Microsoft announced the "New Copilot."

The closing statement of the official blog described it as a single place where you can ask, delegate, create, and automate.

Until now, Copilot sat beside Word or Excel, answering when asked. This announcement fundamentally changes that premise. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are now inside Copilot; you can delegate tasks, build tools, and have work proceed even while you are away.

However, your company screens won't change today. Many features start in early programs or previews, reaching employees gradually.

What this article covers:

• The 13 changes announced on Sept 25 and 4 usage patterns that reshape work.
• When and who will see these updates.
• Three preparations office workers can make right now.

As an AI promotion manager at a major Japanese firm, I read and organized the full official blog post. No programming is required.

First, here is the source post for this announcement by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella himself.

https://x.com/satyanadella/status/2103455884366188544

It is significant enough for the CEO to introduce personally.

Let's look at the 13 changes one by one.

The 13 Changes Announced on Sept 25: An Overview

New Features

1. Home (Copilot becomes the entry point for work)
2. Office in Copilot (Word, Excel, PPT move into Copilot)
3. Code (Build custom apps or dashboards)
4. Copilot Managed Runtime (Safely run created tools within the company)
5. Autopilot (A digital colleague that works while you sleep)

Coming Soon

1. Automatic routing between Chat, Cowork, and Code
2. Today (Morning command center)
3. Teams @Copilot (Share context with the whole team)

Data Integration

1. Power BI data usable in Chat and Cowork
2. Dynamics 365 and Power Platform data
3. Centralized plugin management list

Billing Structure

1. Split between fixed subscription and pay-as-you-go
2. AI usage tracking features

Among these, four usage patterns specifically reshape how office workers operate:

Ask: Chat - Returns answers or drafts immediately.

Delegate: Cowork - Completes deliverables end-to-end.

Create: Code - Builds custom tools.

Automate: Autopilot - Continues work without waiting for instructions.

These four entry points converge in the new "Home." Opening Copilot means starting work from here.

1. Home: Copilot Becomes the Entry Point for Work

Source: Microsoft Official Blog

According to official descriptions, Home is a new starting point where Chat and Cowork converge. You can review recent activities, receive suggestions for what to ask Copilot, and resume interrupted tasks.

The biggest shift is "Office in Copilot." Asking Home to "write a proposal" or "build a budget model" returns not just text, but editable, real Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files.

You can open files already being worked on by your team and continue editing there. Calling colleagues via @ reflects their edits instantly.

The official blog notes that broken formatting, scattered versions, and explaining context in separate apps become unnecessary.

For office workers, this eliminates the cycle of "Draft in Copilot -> Paste to Word -> Fix Formatting." Work begins by "Opening Copilot" instead of "Opening an App."

Soon, you won't need to choose between Chat, Cowork, or Code manually; Copilot will route your request to the appropriate mode.

2. Ask vs. Delegate: Clear Roles for Chat and Cowork

Chat is conversational and immediate. It suits quick questions, research, drafts, and status checks.

Cowork is for delegation. You define a task, and it executes from start to finish, returning completed deliverables. Official examples include RFP responses, product launch kits, customer briefings, and financial summaries.

In short, Chat is a consultant; Cowork is a project owner. Distinguishing these is the first step to mastering the new Copilot.

You can practice this distinction before the new UI arrives. Use current Copilot chat to categorize your weekly tasks:

1Based on my schedule and emails this week, split my tasks into two categories:
21. Tasks needing immediate answers or drafts.
32. Tasks suitable for full delegation to a deliverable.
4Provide a one-line reason for each, and list any ambiguous items separately.

Tasks in category 2 are candidates for Cowork. Defining completion criteria beforehand reduces rework:

1Assuming I want to delegate [Task Example: Next month's regular report], list 5 completion criteria.
2Include audience, page count, source materials, deadline, and specific points requiring confirmation.

3. Create: Build Custom Tools with Code

Source: Microsoft Official Blog

Code is the most novel addition. Previously, knowledge work units were documents, spreadsheets, and slides. Now, "small custom tools" join them.

Describe the app, tracker, dashboard, or automation you want in plain language, and Copilot builds it.

Examples include desktop widgets, data validation dashboards, and internal team apps.

It uses GitHub Copilot technology, running in isolated environments within Microsoft 365.

The newly announced Copilot Managed Runtime ensures these tools run safely within the company.

The blog states that building such tools is becoming a fundamental skill, akin to taking notes or creating budgets.

Preparation involves identifying manual tasks worth automating:

1From my recent files and emails, identify weekly manual Excel tasks like aggregation or transcription.
2Evaluate if turning each into an app or dashboard would improve efficiency, providing reasons.

4. Automate: Autopilot Becomes a Digital Colleague

Source: Microsoft Official Blog

Autopilot (formerly Scout) executes work without waiting for instructions once given a name, role, and goal.

It monitors channels, tracks thread replies, runs recurring tasks, and resumes stalled projects days later. Official examples show it managing vendor evaluations, scheduling, meeting prep, and stakeholder updates.

Running in the cloud, it works while you sleep or do other tasks. It has its own identity, memory, and workspace within the company, callable via @ in Teams or Outlook like a colleague. Permissions, auditing, and management mechanisms support this.

Delegators must define purpose and scope. The blog emphasizes that humans set boundaries, and Autopilot operates within them, keeping humans informed.

Practice writing delegation instructions:

1List 3 recurring verification or follow-up tasks in my job.
2For each, define: Role, Goal, Prohibited Actions, and Reporting Timing.

This mirrors writing instructions for subordinates. Managers benefit most from this preparation.

Coming Soon: Today and Teams @Copilot

"Today" will soon be added to Home. It acts as a morning command center, scanning emails, calendars, Teams, meetings, and tasks to highlight missed items, urgent actions, and deferrable ones.

It doesn't just organize; drafts replies, suggests schedule changes, and prepares forgotten follow-ups.

Private preview starts in October, expanding to Outlook and Teams.

In Teams, calling @Copilot shares channel/meeting context and permissions with the entire team. Asking "Why did we decide on this spec?" retrieves history from past conversations. Private preview begins by month-end.

Data Integration: Items 9-11

Item 9: Power BI Data. Over 20 million Power BI data models are now accessible to Chat and Cowork as evidence. Generally available upon announcement.

This reduces the hassle of opening dashboards, finding numbers, and pasting them into chats. Code integration starts soon in early programs.

Item 10: Dynamics 365 and Power Platform Data. Sales reps can have Copilot pull past deal records directly into proposals. Public preview rolls out over the next month.

Item 11: Plugin List. A centralized list for Microsoft, partner, and internal extensions allows IT to approve and manage them. Rolling out now, generally available within weeks.

Common theme: Copilot's visibility expands beyond email/files, reducing copy-paste cycles between systems.

Billing: What Office Workers Should Know

Pricing splits into two models:

• Standard use (answers, drafts, summaries, analysis) is included in per-user fixed licenses.
• Cowork, Code, Autopilot, and top-tier models (like Astra/Fable) are pay-as-you-go.

"Auto" selects the best model based on accuracy, speed, and cost per request. Admins can restrict models by department or approve extra quota requests.

Employees will see remaining quotas and usage history in Copilot. Delegation costs money, so companies will control usage levels. Expect varied access rights and approval requirements for delegated functions. Check your company's policy with IT early.

Timeline: Who Gets It When?

Official timelines:

• Home: Frontier program rollout within weeks.
• Code: Frontier late month, broad rollout weeks after.
• Autopilot: Private preview expansion late month.
• Today: Private preview in October.
• Teams @Copilot: Private preview by month-end.
• Personal Code (M365 Premium/Pro): Preview within year.
• Power BI Data: GA for Chat/Cowork.
• Dynamics/Power Platform: Public preview next month.
• Plugin List: Rolling out, GA within weeks.

Frontier programs require company opt-in. Most employees will see these changes over several months.

Official Info: Microsoft 365 Copilot Frontier program

Summary: Mastering Delegation, Not Just Asking

The direction is clear: Move from learning how to ask Copilot to deciding what to delegate and how far.

Three preparations to make now:

1. Categorize tasks into "Ask" and "Delegate" using Chapter 2 prompts.
2. List manual tasks worth automating.
3. Define roles, goals, and scopes for recurring tasks.

Core message: Differentiation in the new Copilot comes from how you delegate, not how you ask.

Practice writing delegation instructions today. Those ready with defined tasks when the new UI arrives will benefit first.

Official Info: Introducing the new Copilot with Home, Code and Autopilot

Info as of Sept 25, 2026. Availability varies by contract, admin settings, region, and rollout stage.

Copilot evolves rapidly. Learning from practitioners is faster than tracking alone.

Thanks for reading.

I share daily Copilot tips. Follow for practical techniques:

@haruki_copilot

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