Microsoft's AI Copilot Arrives for Office Apps Users

Microsoft is bringing its AI Copilot feature to Office apps for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers. This used to be exclusive to pricier Copilot Pro subscriptions. The upgrade will cost an extra $20 monthly in addition to the basic subscription cost. For now, this change is happening in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Users will get a limited number of AI credits each month to use Copilot in apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. If they need more, they can upgrade to Copilot Pro. The subscription price will increase at the next renewal. For example, in Australia, one user reported their subscription cost going up to AU$179 from AU$139.

Those not interested in AI features can opt for a Microsoft 365 Classic plan with similar prices as before. The rest of the world, including the US and Western Europe, will have to wait for this change. Microsoft often tests new features in certain regions before rolling them out globally. This move is part of Microsoft's bigger plan to integrate AI into its services. The company wants to see how customers react to these changes and scale up its servers. Some users in the APAC region have already raised concerns about the forced inclusion of Copilot and its potential to cause issues for students who can't use AI assistance.

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