The time period “copilot” for AI assistants appears to be in all places in enterprise software program at the moment. Like many issues within the generative AI {industry}, the way in which the phrase is used is altering. Typically it’s capitalized, and generally it isn’t. GitHub’s alternative of Copilot as a model title was the primary main use, adopted by Microsoft naming its separate flagship AI assistant Copilot. Then, the time period copilot quickly turned generic. In frequent use, an AI copilot is a generative AI assistant, often a big language mannequin skilled for a particular process.
Confusion over a time period may result in some prospects not understanding whether or not what they’re getting is a Microsoft product, for instance. However Microsoft doesn’t appear to be looking for possession over the phrase copilot, as loads of different corporations use it. The time period copilot originated with flight and implies a reliable right-hand individual for a extremely expert skilled.
Right here’s what that you must find out about among the many types of AI copilot.
What’s Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is an umbrella time period for a wide range of generative AI and chatbot merchandise now obtainable all through Microsoft productiveness software program. For enterprise customers, we’ve a information to differentiating Microsoft Copilot’s numerous iterations and new Copilot options and integrations.
Microsoft makes use of two constructions for Copilot product names: “in” or “for”
In TechRepublic’s cheat sheet about Microsoft Copilot, word Copilot for Safety and Copilots for Finance, Gross sales and Service, that are more likely to be bought individually for particular makes use of or departments. That is an attention-grabbing case of Microsoft utilizing its personal model title in two methods directly (even after all of the renaming Copilot has gone by): the Copilots for provide very related, however extra industry-specific, capabilities in comparison with the Copilots in — for instance, Copilot in Phrase may also help with any writing process, whereas Copilot for Safety integrates with particular safety merchandise.
SEE: Copilot in Bing was once referred to as Bing Chat earlier than Microsoft unified its model names considerably. (TechRepublic)
What’s GitHub Copilot?
GitHub launched its Copilot product in 2021 (GitHub had already been acquired by Microsoft at the moment). GitHub Copilot generates code based mostly on a developer’s current code; it’s meant as an AI model of pair programming. The unique GitHub Copilot was constructed on OpenAI Codex, a variant of the then-current GPT-3. GitHub got here full circle on generative AI with the addition of a chatbot to its latest iteration, GitHub Copilot X.
Microsoft Copilot vs GitHub Copilot
Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot have totally different main use instances. GitHub Copilot is for coding particularly, whereas Microsoft Copilot integrates with loads of totally different enterprise software program. GitHub Copilot reads code, not pure language, and integrates right into a code editor; Microsoft Copilot makes use of pure language and sits alongside a wide range of Microsoft merchandise. However, Microsoft Copilot can be utilized to jot down code in some cases, corresponding to on Energy Pages when built-in with Visible Studio Code.
Microsoft Copilot for enterprise begins at $30.00 per consumer monthly with a Microsoft 365 Enterprise Normal or Microsoft 365 Enterprise Premium license.
GitHub Copilot begins at $10 per consumer monthly.
What are different Copilot merchandise?
Salesforce is one non-Microsoft proponent of Copilot as a model title. Einstein Copilot, launched in February 2024, works throughout Salesforce’s knowledge cloud, AI and buyer relationship administration software-as-a-service choices.
Enterprise course of automation software program firm Appian calls its generative AI sidekick Copilot. One gross sales prospecting software program firm named itself Copilot AI, but it surely isn’t promoting a generative AI bot — as a substitute, it gives predictive responses to LinkedIn conversations and campaigns.
There are various extra corporations utilizing Copilot to point a generative AI increase for his or her companies.
SEE: There are a number of the reason why companies or particular person customers may wish to disable the Microsoft Copilot options that include Home windows 11. (TechRepublic)
Can copilot be used as a generic time period?
For now, “copilot” is a versatile phrase for each generic and brand-specific AI chatbot merchandise for particular enterprise makes use of. For instance, Microsoft Copilot is a copilot. What “copilot” refers to or how an AI chatbot is called could also be totally different relying on the group. The frequent makes use of of the time period point out the Wild West interval of AI we’re in, exhibiting each that professionals are nonetheless engaged on methods to make use of generative AI for enterprise and that generative AI is settling into an “assistant” position within the type of chatbots tailor-made to particular merchandise and purposes.
You’ll doubtless see the phrase copilot written in lowercase to point the generic model of AI assistants. The individuals making uppercase Copilot infrastructure have embraced the generic model of the time period, too: NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang used copilot as a generic time period at NVIDIA GTC, as did many corporations on the convention present flooring.
Different corporations appear to be staying away from the time period: IBM calls its watsonx AI sidekick an Assistant, as does Databricks with its Databricks Assistant.
