Microsoft Copilot lands on Mac

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AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in Mac Software

Microsoft has just brought its AI chatbot, Copilot, to macOS, if you're looking for yet another AI tool to add to your arsenal.

Chat interface with a photo of bleeding heart flowers, featuring pink heart-shaped blossoms and green foliage, illuminated by sunlight.
Microsoft Copilot comes to macOS



Copilot is Microsoft's AI chatbot. Like most other chatbots, it can provide you with text, generate images (Generative AI, or GenAI), help you get organized or cook, look things up or locate things for you, play music, and even write code.

Until now, Mac users have been required to use Copilot in-browser on Microsoft's site. However, as of Thursday, a standalone app has finally landed on macOS.

Microsoft released Copilot for iPhone and iPad all the way back in December 2023.

Currently, Copilot uses several large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT-4, DALL-E 3, Codex, and Microsoft's in-house LLM, Prometheus.

Microsoft suggests using Copilot to get straightforward answers to complex questions, turn ideas into images, or polish up your writing. Of course, you can also use it as an alternative method of searching the web.

For example, you could always use it to find out what time businesses are open, or what you should sightsee when visiting a new city.

Chat interface discussing M&M's World store hours in Times Square, highlighting extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Includes website link and related query suggestions.
Asking Copilot for business hours
Copilot is free

and can be downloaded from the App Store. To use Copilot, you'll need an M1 or newer Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or newer.

You can thank Copilot for Apple's push into the AI space with its own in-house AI, Apple Intelligence.

Craig Federighi is said to have spent Christmas 2022 playing with Microsoft Copilot. His experience led him to give his team of software engineers resources to pursue AI -- specifically generative AI.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,353member
    Nope, don't want anything from Microsoft or Google on my Mac, or at least keep their stuff to a minimum. I also don't want any of this AI garbage. Just give me reference material not some stuff generated by a computer program.
    lordjohnwhorfinolsappleinsideruserDAalsethwatto_cobra
     5Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 8
    lordjohnwhorfinlordjohnwhorfin Posts: 898member
    Another solution in search of a problem
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 8
    olsols Posts: 53member
    Cruft from MS? - No, thank you. I have switched to Macs to get away from MS and have not regretted it
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 8
    chip_loderchip_loder Posts: 1member
    The Copilot app for macOS has been available since Jan, 2024. It's not new.
    williamlondonmuthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
     2Likes 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 8
    Scottle9scottle9 Posts: 3unconfirmed, member
    BTW the standalone app does not currently appear to be available in Australia.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 8
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,810member
    Scottle9 said:
    BTW the standalone app does not currently appear to be available in Australia.
    AppleInsider normally doesn't clarify if a product or service is available outside the US. I'm in Canada, and it looks like it's available here.

    I was surprised how little data Microsoft steals from your Mac that's "linked to you" but I was a little disappointed by how much data it takes that's "not linked to you." I may be tempted to try it even though I hate products that take unnecessary data from me.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 8
    SuntanIronMansuntanironman Posts: 106member
    chip_loder said:
    The Copilot app for macOS has been available since Jan, 2024. It's not new.
    Kind of. That was the iPadOS version that was very briefly available for download on the Mac (before Microsoft said “Nope” and took it back).
    macpluspluswatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 8
    DAalsethdaalseth Posts: 3,285member
    I know a few people that had Copilot on their work systems. they absolutely hated it. One called it “an unholy union of Clippy and Urcle”. 
    edited February 28
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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