Is Microsoft flying a sinking ship with Copilot and ‘gimmicky’ AI tools?: “We are building the plane as we fly it. Nothing else matters. They want a Copilot tie-in for everything”

Is Microsoft flying a sinking ship with Copilot and 'gimmicky' AI tools?: "We are building the plane as we fly it. Nothing else matters. They want a Copilot tie-in for everything"

What you need to know

  • Microsoft recently shipped a massive Copilot update, overhauling the user experience, which has received backlash from users.
  • The update received backlash from users, including Microsoft staffers, who described it as “a step back” that has absolutely ruined the tool’s user experience.
  • An exclusive report by Business Insider highlights Microsoft’s struggles with Copilot, including privacy and security.
  • A high-ranking Microsoft executive described most Copilot AI tools as “gimmicky.”
  • Microsoft reportedly relies on third-party vendors to make Copilot work across its tech stack, including Microsoft 365.

As a seasoned researcher with over two decades of experience in the tech industry, I’ve seen my fair share of triumphs and fumbles from some of the biggest names in the business. Microsoft, with its Copilot AI chatbot, seems to be experiencing a bit of both at the moment.


Microsoft launched its AI-driven chatbot named Copilot (previously known as Bing Chat) about a year back. Since then, the tech titan has seen significant growth in the AI sector, rising to the pinnacle of the industry and surpassing Apple and NVIDIA in terms of market value, boasting a staggering $3 trillion market cap.

It appears that Microsoft may have stumbled with their latest upgrade for Copilot, as suggested by recent developments. In October, they released this significant update to their AI chatbot, enhancing its capabilities, user-friendly interface, and offering an engaging chat experience, in addition to the introduction of Copilot Vision.

Users have openly shared their dissatisfaction with the latest update, pointing out deteriorated user interaction and subpar response quality. Some users even long for the old version and have proposed an option to switch back. This discontent arises as numerous accounts of scaling laws circulate online, hinting at challenges faced by top AI research institutions like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic in creating sophisticated AI models, due to a scarcity of premium training content. It’s plausible that Microsoft is experiencing similar difficulties.

It’s worth noting that Microsoft insiders have expressed concerns about the direction of Copilot, suggesting that the recent update has significantly diminished the user experience and taken a step backwards.

Currently, a detailed account by Business Insider offers additional insights into Microsoft’s challenges with their project, Copilot, as revealed by an inside source.

Counterproductive Copilot efforts?

Is Microsoft flying a sinking ship with Copilot and 'gimmicky' AI tools?: "We are building the plane as we fly it. Nothing else matters. They want a Copilot tie-in for everything"

According to a Microsoft employee with close ties to the company’s Copilot AI division:

There seems to be a discrepancy between our grand aspirations and the reality of user experiences. We refer to this internally as “growing pains.” Essentially, we’re trying to construct the aircraft while already in flight.

Although Microsoft asserts that around 70% of Fortune 500 employees are using their Copilot AI, there are concerns voiced by these users, who worry about a premature launch that might not sit well with customers. After the latest update delivered to Copilot, some users have hinted they may switch to OpenAI’s ChatGPT unless Microsoft reinstates the earlier version of Copilot.

It’s common knowledge that Microsoft has seamlessly incorporated its Copilot AI technology throughout its tech infrastructure, such as Microsoft 365. This allows you to utilize its functions within software applications like PowerPoint, Outlook, and others. However, an inside source at Microsoft shared that the company relies on external assistance from third-party vendors to bring the AI vision to life in these apps. In a conversation with Business Insider, a top-level Microsoft executive suggested that many of the Copilot AI tools appear to be more novelty than truly beneficial.

Microsoft asserts that their significant investments in AI and Copilot have begun yielding returns, a point they back up by citing increased demand for additional access to the Copilot tool among users.

Although the benefits of AI are yet to be fully realized, concerns about security and privacy persistently hinder its advancement, causing users to maintain a cautious distance from it. It’s been reported that businesses hesitate to incorporate this technology into their operations due to its ability to circumvent essential security protocols and tap into confidential credentials that typically demand top-secret clearance. Consequently, an employee with access to the AI tool could potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.

A Microsoft worker confirmed the concerns, suggesting the tool is exceptionally effective at disclosing information that customers may have intended to keep private or not realized was accessible to Microsoft employees, like salary details. Moreover, the workers mentioned that resolving this problem might require significant time, possibly even several years.

On the other hand, the tech titan boasts various strategies, such as creating tools that allow users to control access permissions efficiently. Furthermore, they plan to publish guidelines on avoiding excessive sharing while utilizing AI, along with advice on securely handling data.

Based on the information from a Microsoft source, it appears that Microsoft is continuing full steam ahead with its Copilot projects without any indication of slowing down.

It seems there’s a misguided tendency within our marketing department to incorporate “Copilot” into almost every aspect of our product names. Essentially, they’re trying to link everything to Copilot, as if it’s the only significant element. They’re eager to create a connection for everything with Copilot.

It would be intriguing to observe how Microsoft tackles the issues brought up regarding their Copilot projects, given that the doubt in the environment is growing steadily.

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2024-11-18 13:09