Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat: Your AI Starting Point

Overview

You’ve heard about Copilot, but you might not have a license yet. That doesn’t mean you can’t start exploring AI assistance. Copilot Chat — the free tier available to all M365 users — offers web research, writing help, and brainstorming without requiring a paid license.

This video explains what Copilot Chat is, what you can do with it, what you can’t do without a license, and when it makes sense to use it versus requesting a full Copilot license.

What You’ll Learn

• What Is Copilot Chat: The free AI assistant for M365 users
• What You Can Do: Web research, writing, brainstorming, learning
• What You Can’t Do: Anything requiring organizational data access
• When to Use It: Appropriate use cases for the free tier

Script

Hook

You don’t have a Copilot license yet, but you’ve heard about Copilot Chat. What is it? Is it worth using? Can it actually help you without access to your organizational data?

Let’s talk about what Copilot Chat is and when it makes sense to use it.

What Is Copilot Chat?

Copilot Chat is free for all M365 users with work or school accounts. You access it at microsoft365.com/copilot or through M365 apps. It’s sometimes called “BizChat” internally at Microsoft.

It’s AI assistance without organizational data access. It can search the web. It can help with writing and brainstorming. It can answer general questions. But it cannot read your emails, documents, or meetings. That requires a license.

Think of it as the free tier of Copilot. It’s useful, but limited compared to licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot.

What You Can Do with Copilot Chat

So what can you actually do with Copilot Chat?

First, web research. Ask: “What are the latest cybersecurity threats for federal agencies?” Copilot searches the web and summarizes findings.

Second, writing help. “Draft an outline for a training plan.” “Give me talking points for a presentation on zero trust.” Copilot generates content based on general knowledge.

Third, brainstorming. “What are some creative ways to encourage policy compliance?” Copilot offers ideas.

Fourth, learning and explanations. “Explain the difference between IaaS and PaaS.” “What is FedRAMP High?”

Copilot Chat is like having a smart assistant who can search and write, but who doesn’t have access to your organization’s files.

In GCC High and DoD, web search capabilities may be limited depending on your tenant configuration.

What You CAN’T Do Without a License

Here’s what you cannot do without a Copilot license.

You cannot access organizational data. No email summaries. No document drafting based on your files. No meeting recaps. No insights from your SharePoint or Teams.

You cannot use Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook. Those features require a license.

You cannot get personalized answers based on your work context.

The line is clear: Copilot Chat works with public information. Licensed Microsoft 365 Copilot works with YOUR information.

If you need organizational context, you need a license.

When to Use Copilot Chat

So when should you use Copilot Chat?

Use it when you need general research or information. When you want help drafting something not tied to your organizational data. When you’re brainstorming or exploring ideas. When you’re learning about a topic.

Don’t use it for summarizing your emails, analyzing your organization’s data, drafting based on internal documents, or getting project-specific insights.

Copilot Chat is a good starting point. It shows you what AI assistance feels like. But if you want the real productivity gains, you need the licensed version that connects to your organizational data.

Next step: if Copilot Chat is useful, make the case for licenses in your agency.

Sources & References

• Get Started with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat — Official guide to Copilot Chat (free tier)
• Microsoft 365 Copilot Overview — Overview distinguishing Copilot Chat from licensed M365 Copilot
• Copilot Adoption Resources — Adoption guidance for Copilot products