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Earlier this month, Microsoft introduced a significant update to its consumer Copilot tool, marking the first major release by the company’s new AI group led by Mustafa Suleyman, a former DeepMind cofounder who joined Microsoft earlier this year. The update aimed to reshape Copilot from a simple tool into a more interactive AI companion that could “support you, teach you, and help you.” However, the revamped Copilot has received mixed feedback, with many users and employees expressing disappointment in its performance and features.
In a statement to Business Insider, Divya Kumar, Microsoft’s general manager of Copilot and AI marketing, explained that the updated Copilot was intended to evolve into a “companion experience” that offers conversational support and helps users solve less defined problems.
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Yet, this shift seems to have left some users dissatisfied, especially those accustomed to the previous version’s functionality. On Blind, a private message board where Microsoft employees can discuss their workplace anonymously, one person wrote, “Absolutely ruined,” while another described the new Copilot as “a step backward.”
These complaints are echoed in public App Store reviews, where the app’s rating took a noticeable dip following the October 1 update. Once rated an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars, the app has recently been flooded with over 250 one-star reviews, compared to just 20 in September. “It was so good before updating to this version,” one reviewer noted, while another commented that the app had become “dumbed down and less functional.”
Specific issues mentioned in the reviews include slower response times, freezing, and a decrease in the quality of responses. Users have also pointed out that the updated Copilot no longer provides real-time information, such as sports scores or local recommendations, and many miss the option to delete old conversations. The app’s image-generation tool has also been downgraded, only producing one image per request now instead of four.
The update has also led to comparisons between Suleyman’s consumer-focused Copilot and Microsoft’s corporate AI tools. Some users feel the M365 version is far superior in terms of productivity, with one employee writing, “The M365 one is far superior.”
Microsoft has acknowledged the feedback and plans to address concerns by adding new features over time. Kumar stated, “We will add new features and functionality as we continue to listen to and address our customers’ feedback.”