Microsoft is expanding the reach of its AI tools by rolling out Copilot Chat for free across its most popular Office apps. Starting today, Microsoft 365 business users will see a new Copilot Chat sidebar in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, enabling them to draft text, summarize content, analyze spreadsheets, and create presentations -- all without paying extra for a Copilot license.

"Copilot Chat is secure AI chat grounded in the web -- and now, it's available in the Microsoft 365 apps," said Seth Patton, General Manager of Microsoft 365 Copilot product marketing. "It's content aware, meaning it quickly understands what you're working on, tailoring answers to the file you have open. And it's included at no additional cost for Microsoft 365 users."

The free version is designed to enhance productivity with features like rewriting documents, generating summaries, and designing slides in PowerPoint. However, businesses that opt for the $30 per user, per month Microsoft 365 Copilot license will still access deeper integration. That premium tier goes beyond single files, offering reasoning across entire datasets and company-wide work documents.

"Users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license get priority access to features like file upload and image generation, along with the latest technology like GPT-5, including faster response times and more consistent availability -- even during peak usage periods," explains Patton.

Earlier this year, Microsoft extended Copilot features to consumer Microsoft 365 plans but increased subscription prices at the same time. This time, however, business users get Copilot Chat added at no extra cost.

Looking ahead, Microsoft plans to integrate sales, service, and finance Copilots into the Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription starting October -- potentially lowering costs for enterprises heavily invested in its AI ecosystem.

With this move, Microsoft is signaling that AI-powered productivity is no longer optional but a core part of the modern workplace.