Microsoft is reportedly working on a “super app” to fix a problem that recently left its own employees confused surrounding its massive lineup of “Copilot” AI tools. Currently, Microsoft has multiple AI assistants scattered across its products, leaving customers frustrated by the lack of a single destination. To solve this, Microsoft is secretly building a “one-stop shop” super app, Fortune reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
What is ‘Microsoft’s Copilot problem’
In mobile app stores, users are forced to choose between a standard consumer Copilot and a rebranded Microsoft Office app – also named Copilot – that looks almost identical but includes Word and Excel features. This reported super app aims to blend Microsoft’s fragmented AI universe into a single, cohesive interface.
It is expected to connect GitHub Copilot (for coding), Copilot Chat (the standard conversational AI), Copilot Cowork (team collaboration) and Autopilot (a brand-new, unreleased tool designed for automated workflows). The app is said to also feature a simple toggle switch, allowing users to effortlessly flip back and forth between their personal accounts and their work-focused Microsoft 365 Copilot accounts.
What to expect at Microsoft Build
Citing sources, the publication reports that the company plans to launch the super app by the end of the summer. Led by Jacob Andreou, the company's recently appointed head of Copilot, the internal project is said to be moving forward under the slogan “Delivering one Copilot.”
While Microsoft doesn't plan to fully showcase the unreleased app just yet, elements of this unified strategy are expected to be teased at Microsoft’s Build developer conference next week in San Francisco.
When Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s ‘fix’ got everyone laughing
During an internal town hall meeting last year, an employee asked CEO Satya Nadella how the company plans to help customers navigate the messy maze of different Copilots. Nadella joked that the best way to stop the confusion was simply to “have a billion users of each” app – the tongue-in-cheek response drawing big laughs from the crowd.
Meanwhile, Microsoft isn’t the only tech titan chasing the “super app” solution. Its partner-rival OpenAI has openly discussed combining ChatGPT, its coding tools, and a web browser into a single hub.