Microsoft 365 Copilot brings the power of artificial intelligence directly into the Microsoft 365 applications you use every day, such as Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and more. At the heart of this experience is Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, a conversational assistant that helps you get work done faster by understanding your questions and commands in natural language. Whether you’re writing an email, analyzing a spreadsheet, or summarizing meeting notes, Copilot Chat is here to simplify your tasks and boost your productivity.
One of the most useful features of Copilot Chat is its ability to interact with preconfigured Copilot agents. These agents are powered by OpenAI’s o3-mini reasoning model. o3-mini is a compact yet powerful reasoning model designed to support task-oriented, specialized agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot. It excels at structured thinking, step-by-step analysis, and interpreting user intent in natural language. While smaller than flagship models like GPT-4, o3-mini is optimized for efficiency and performance in professional scenarios. It enables fast, targeted reasoning for tasks such as data analysis, writing assistance, prompt refinement, and idea generation.
Copilot’s preconfigured agents use the o3-mini reasoning model from OpenAI to perform specific functions or answer work-related questions. Think of these agents as specialized assistants with deep knowledge of the Microsoft 365 environment and common business processes.
You don’t need to configure or train these preconfigured agents. In fact, they’re ready to use as soon as you open Copilot Chat. You also don’t need to be a tech expert to use them. They’re designed for everyday users, so you can simply ask questions or give instructions in plain language. For example, a preconfigured Copilot agent can help you extract data from a recent Teams meeting, summarize recent activity in a shared document, or provide an overview of tasks assigned to your team. You can simply ask questions like “What did I miss in yesterday’s meeting?” or “Show me the latest updates in the project file,” and the agent will gather and present the information using the tools and files you already use in Microsoft 365. The preconfigured agents understand your intent and get to work immediately, saving you time and effort.
These agents are also designed with privacy and security in mind, so they only access content you’re authorized to view. This means you can rely on Copilot to respect your organization’s data boundaries while providing powerful insights and assistance. They’re built to save you time, reduce repetitive work, and help you stay focused on what matters most.
Note
This module covers many of the key preconfigured agents available in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. However, it may not include all currently offered agents. Microsoft continues to expand and evolve its collection of preconfigured agents, so the set of available agents may change over time.
In this module, you’ll learn how to interact with several of these preconfigured agents, understand what they can do, and see practical examples of how they can help you in your daily work. Whether you’re writing reports, preparing meetings, or managing projects, Copilot Chat is here to assist you—starting with agents already designed to support you.
