Copilot goes human-centric with 12 upgrades to make it more personal, useful, and connected

Microsoft AI’s CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, has a simple line he keeps circling back to: tech should work in the service of people, not the other way around. In Microsoft’s Copilot Fall Release, he lays out 12 upgrades built to make the assistant feel more like a grounded companion and less like yet another tab to manage. It’s opinionated, a bit “I think this is how AI should behave,” and, like, very much aimed at real life, organising plans, learning faster, and even finding a doctor with less faff. 

But let’s see how it fits the bigger picture, and where it’s landing first:

• Copilot Groups (up to 32 people): Copilot isn’t just a 1:1 bot anymore. Groups lets up to 32 people co-brainstorm, co-write, plan, and study in a single shared chat. Copilot keeps the room in sync by summarising threads, proposing options, tallying votes, and parcelling out tasks — you just share a link and everyone sees the same conversation. It’s currently rolling out with a US-first focus. 
• Imagine: Alongside Groups is Imagine, a space to browse others’ AI-generated creations and remix them to your needs. Think of it as social creativity with a version history. Every post can be liked and remixed, helping ideas travel. 

• Mico: Meet Mico, a new optional avatar for voice mode, that listens, reacts, and even changes colour to mirror the vibe of the conversation. Think of it as Microsoft’s modern answer to the “assistant with a personality” idea that once gave us Clippy. The goal isn’t nostalgia; it’s to make voice interactions feel natural and supportive. 
• “Real talk” conversation style: If you opt in, Copilot can adopt a more candid, less sycophantic style — gently pushing back, challenging assumptions, and matching your tone without sliding into snark. It’s meant to be collaborative and respectful rather than agreeable by default. 
• Long-term memory and personalisation: Copilot can now remember things you explicitly ask it to, such as marathon training, anniversaries, and preferences, and bring them up later so you don’t have to re-explain yourself. It’s also beginning to reference past conversations, so you can pick up threads without repeating context. You stay in control: view, edit, or delete memories any time. 
• Connectors for your stuff: Link services like OneDrive, Outlook, Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar so you can find docs, emails, or events in plain language. It’s opt-in with explicit consent and a scoped search, so you decide what’s connected and what isn’t. 
• Proactive actions: Rather than waiting for prompts, Copilot can surface timely suggestions based on your recent activity or research — nudging you toward next steps so projects don’t stall. This is in preview and rolling out gradually. 

• Copilot for health: Copilot will ground health answers in trusted sources and help you find doctors by speciality, language, location, and other preferences — essentially steering you from “what does this symptom even mean?” to “here are clinicians that match your needs.” Early days, and US-only at launch. 
• Learn Live: For study sessions, Copilot shifts into a voice-led tutor that asks questions, uses simple visuals/whiteboards, and guides you through concepts instead of dumping answers. It’s the difference between “tell me” and “help me think.” 

• Copilot Mode in Edge: In Edge, Copilot Mode is evolving into what Suleyman openly describes as an AI-forward browsing experience. With permission, it can see and reason over your open tabs, compare sources, and even take actions like filling forms or booking a hotel. Voice-only navigation and a new “Journeys” feature group your past browsing into meaningful storylines you can revisit, handy when you’re deep-diving on, say, travel plans or a new hobby. 
• Copilot on Windows: Windows 11 leans in with a wake word (“Hey Copilot”), a refreshed home that surfaces recent files/apps/chats, and Copilot Vision to guide you through on-screen tasks in real time. The vibe is: keep your flow, get help when you need it. 
• Pages and Copilot search: Pages is now a more capable canvas — upload up to 20 files across common formats and work with them in one place. And Copilot Search blends AI answers with classic results (with clear citations) so you can scan, source-check, and decide faster.

Availability, limits, and the fine print

Microsoft says the updates are live in the United States now, and will rollout to the UK, Canada, and more “in the next few weeks,” with features varying by market, device, and platform. Health features and some Edge capabilities (like Journeys and certain Actions) start US-only; “real talk” requires sign-in and is 18+. Memory/personalisation is opt-in and editable, so you can view, update, or delete saved details at any time.

A quick pulse check on the competitive context

Yes, this lands two days after OpenAI introduced its Atlas browser effort — and Microsoft is clearly positioning Copilot Mode in Edge as a full-on AI companion for the web. That’s not shade; it’s the reality of an AI browser race where “reads your tabs, summarises sources, takes actions” is the new baseline. The interesting question isn’t who does it first, but who makes it feel trustworthy, legible, and genuinely time-saving. 

Suleyman’s pitch is that Copilot should be the helpful friend who remembers your quirks, shows up in your tools, and, when needed, pushes you to think better, not just faster. It’s still early, especially outside the US, but the direction is clear. It’s to be more social, more situated, and more agency on your behalf, with controls that keep you in the driver’s seat.