Meet Copilot Cowork: Your New AI Work Buddy
There is a new name making noise in the world of workplace AI: Copilot Cowork.
In simple terms, Copilot Cowork is designed to act more like a digital colleague than a chatbot. Instead of only answering one question or creating one draft at a time, it can work through larger, multi-step tasks across Microsoft 365.
How is Copilot Cowork different to Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Microsoft 365 Copilot is brilliant for everyday support. You might ask it to summarise an email thread, draft a document, create a presentation outline, analyse spreadsheet data, or help you prepare for a meeting.
Copilot Cowork takes this a step further.
It is capable of more complex work that involves several stages, tools, or actions. Where standard Copilot is often used for one task at a time, Cowork is built to help manage a bigger piece of work across apps such as Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and calendars.
For example, instead of asking Copilot to summarise this meeting, you could ask Cowork to help manage the wider meeting process. It could help gather background information beforehand, prepare a briefing note, create an agenda, organise supporting documents, summarise the meeting afterwards, draft follow-up emails, and help track next steps.
That is the important difference. It is not just helping you with a single answer. It is helping you complete a process. With your approval, it can also take action, such as scheduling meetings, drafting emails, or organising documents.
What is an AI agent?
An AI agent is a tool that can work towards a goal, not just answer one question at a time.
In Microsoft 365 Copilot, you can create agents for specific jobs. For example, an HR agent could answer policy questions, or a marketing agent could help create posts in the branding style.
Copilot Cowork is a capability within Copilot. It’s different to the Copilot 365 agents. It is designed to plan and carry out larger pieces of work that involve multi-step tasks across Microsoft 365. Instead of helping with one specific area, it can work across emails, meetings, files, documents, spreadsheets and calendars.
We describe the differences like this:
Copilot agents are specialist helpers for a defined task or topic.
Copilot Cowork is more like a digital colleague you can delegate a larger piece of work to.
It is not here to replace people. It is here to reduce admin, save time and help teams focus on the work that needs judgement, creativity and human connection.
Why are Cowork agents useful for businesses?
Most businesses have information spread across emails, chats, meetings, files and spreadsheets. AI agents can help bring that information together and turn it into something useful.
The key is choosing the right tool. Use a Copilot agent when you need a focused helper for a specific process or knowledge area. Use Copilot Cowork when you need help with a bigger task that crosses multiple apps and stages.
Real-life examples
The easiest way to understand Cowork is to see it in action. Microsoft’s own examples bring this to life, and they line up well with the kind of work most businesses already do.
1. Preparing for a client meeting
Instead of juggling emails, documents and Teams chats, you could ask Cowork to prepare everything for you.
It can:
• Pull together background information from emails and files
• Create a briefing note
• Build a presentation deck
• Schedule prep time in your calendar
• Draft a follow-up email ready to go
All from one request.
You still review and refine it, but the heavy lifting is already done.
2. Building a launch or campaign plan
For marketing and operations teams, this is where Cowork becomes really powerful.
You could ask it to:
• Pull together competitor insights
• Create a value proposition document
• Build a presentation for internal or client use
• Outline timelines, owners and next steps
Rather than switching between spreadsheets, slides and emails, Cowork helps connect everything into one clear plan.
Do I need a licence for Cowork?
Copilot Cowork isn’t something you buy on its own. It sits within Microsoft 365, so you’ll need a Copilot licence to use it.
The Cowork feature is switched off by default, and your Microsoft 365 admin can turn it on for you. Once enabled, it appears alongside your other Copilot tools in Microsoft 365.
Cowork pricing
You’ll need a Copilot licence and Cowork is then charged based on how much you use it. It works on a simple credit system, with each step costing around $0.01.
To give you an idea, lighter use might be around £4 per month, typical use about £15 per month, and a heavy use around £45 per month.
You only pay for the work Cowork carries out, so you stay in control of costs. You can find a clear breakdown of pricing here.
The simple way to think about it
Copilot helps you do a task,
Cowork helps you complete a piece of work
For organisations already using Copilot 365, Cowork could be the next step in your business’s AI rollout. It is much more than a clever chatbot.
If you would like to learn more about Copilot Cowork, please email Solutions@resolve.co.uk.
