How Copilot for Microsoft 365 Works

Knowing how technology works eases your mind, minimizes confusion, and deepens your understanding as you incorporate it into your daily work routine.

Copilot for Microsoft 365 leverages large language models (LLMs) that interact with your data using the Microsoft Graph and optionally the Internet to generate personalized experiences with related context as you work. Copilot for Microsoft 365 provides a powerful orchestration engine and combines the power of Large Language Models, your universe of data via Microsoft Graph, the Internet, and your Microsoft 365 apps. Importantly, Copilot for Microsoft 365 only uses information that you explicitly have access to. It only remembers your conversation while it’s in that conversation and we don’t use your information to train the Large Language model. The chat history is wiped clean with each new conversation.

OK, let’s go behind the scenes to further understand the architecture and dataflows behind Copilot for Microsoft 365, including retrieval augmented generation techniques, app commanding, and options to securely connect to external data. You’ll see the potential within chat and how it can save you time with examples of specific use cases.

Watch | “How Copilot for Microsoft 365 Works” presented by A.J. Brush and Mary David Pasch at the recent Microsoft 365 Community Conference #M365Con:



PowerPoint slide screenshot "Copilot for Microsoft 365 architecture" as presented at the Microsoft 365 Community Conference | April 30 – May 2024 | Orlando, Florida.

More on demand | Recent long-form Copilot and AI videos from Microsoft

• “General Session: Reshaping productivity with Copilot for Microsoft 365” with Bobby Kishore and Dan Parish
• “Delivering Business Value & User Satisfaction in the Era of AI” with Karuana Gatimu
• “Harnessing Copilot and AI for Teams meeting effectiveness” with Shiraz Cupala
• “Prepare your content for Microsoft Copilot with SharePoint content governance” with Dave Minasyan, Sanjoyan Mustafi, and Chris Bortlik
• “Real World Lessons Managing Copilot for Microsoft 365” with Chris Bortlik and Manfred Koch
• “Driving User Satisfaction w/ AI for Microsoft employees” with Claire Sisson
• “Create an AI-Ready Organization - Technical & User Enablement Best Practices for Copilot for Microsoft 365” with Karuana Gatimu, Olga Gordon, and Cynthia Johnson [video link coming soon]
• “Understanding Microsoft 365 Copilot Extensibility via Microsoft Graph connectors” with Gladys Alvarez Jimenez, and Brian T. Jackett [video link coming soon]
• Review all Microsoft 365 Community Conference session videos (links to our main playlist of all]

Additional, important Copilot and AI resources from Microsoft

• Copilot hub on adoption.microsroft.com
• Insight into how Microsoft operates its AI services. #ResponsibleAI
• Download the Copilot for Microsoft 365 Success Kit
• Read “The Art and Science of Working with AI” (on Worklab)
• Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 overview article on Microsoft Learn
• Learn more about expanding Copilot with Microsoft Graph connectors

Thanks for your time discovering more about Copilot for Microsoft 365, Karuana Gatimu and Mark Kashman