Comparing Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot: Similarities, Differences and Workarounds
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Similarities Between the Services
- Key Differences
- Pushing the Limits of Bing Chat Enterprise
- Conclusion
Introduction to Comparing Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot
Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot are both AI-powered services from Microsoft that aim to boost productivity in the workplace. In this blog post, we'll examine the similarities and differences between these two services to help you determine which is the right fit for your needs.
Both services leverage large language models and natural language processing to understand requests and provide helpful information. However, Microsoft 365 Copilot has much deeper integration and access to data within Microsoft 365 compared to Bing Chat Enterprise.
Background on Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot
Bing Chat Enterprise is an enterprise-focused version of Microsoft's AI chatbot Bing Chat. It was announced in January 2023 and provides AI assistance while guaranteeing data privacy and security. Bing Chat Enterprise runs on OpenAI's GPT-4 model and uses a Meta prompt to control its responses. Microsoft 365 Copilot is a new AI service that integrates with Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, Word and PowerPoint to provide proactive assistance. It leverages OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and has access to Microsoft Graph allowing it to view your Microsoft 365 data and documents.
Similarities Between the Services
While Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot have some key differences, there are also some notable similarities in their approaches that are worth highlighting.
Use of AI Models
Both Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot leverage large language models created by OpenAI. Bing Chat Enterprise uses GPT-4, while Microsoft 365 Copilot uses GPT-3.5. These advanced natural language AI models allow the services to understand natural language requests and respond with relevant information.
Data Privacy
Microsoft guarantees that all data shared with Bing Chat Enterprise stays within Microsoft's systems and is not used to train AI models. Similarly, Microsoft 365 Copilot data stays within Microsoft 365 and is not used for training. This provides confidence that any proprietary or sensitive data remains private when using these services.
Meta Instructions
Microsoft uses meta instructions to control the tone, abilities and limitations of both Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot. This allows customization of the services for enterprise needs.
Key Differences Between Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot
While there are similarities in the underlying AI technologies, there are some notable differences between these services in terms of capabilities and access to data.
Access to Data
The key differentiator is that Microsoft 365 Copilot has access to Microsoft Graph, allowing it to view documents, emails, calendars, and other Microsoft 365 data for a user. This contextual awareness allows Microsoft 365 Copilot to provide much more useful assistance. In contrast, Bing Chat Enterprise does not have access to Microsoft Graph. It can only view open web pages and has no visibility into a user's Microsoft 365 documents or account data.
Capabilities
As a result of having access to Microsoft 365 data, Microsoft 365 Copilot has greater capabilities in terms of interacting with content, summarizing insights, and automation. For example, it can summarize key points from multiple documents or emails and even create new content. Bing Chat Enterprise has more limited capabilities focused on conversing and web search.
Pushing the Limits of Bing Chat Enterprise
While Bing Chat Enterprise is more limited than Microsoft 365 Copilot, there are some tricks users have found to push it closer to Copilot functionality by granting it access to view additional content.
Using the Sidebar for Context
The Bing Chat sidebar in Edge can view the contents of open browser tabs. Turning on page access allows Bing Chat Enterprise to view documents and provide insights. Viewing single emails in tabs rather than the full Outlook web interface provides clearer context for Bing Chat Enterprise.
Email Hack
Opening an individual email in a separate tab rather than Outlook's pop-up window allows the Bing Chat sidebar to access the content. This grants it visibility into a single email thread.
Plugins and Windows Copilot
Microsoft has hinted at plans for plugins that could connect Bing Chat Enterprise to Microsoft 365 data. Additionally, integration with Windows Copilot could potentially enable deeper OS-level access. However, Microsoft will likely limit Bing Chat Enterprise's access relative to Microsoft 365 Copilot to provide differentiation.
Conclusion
In summary, while Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot leverage similar AI foundations, Microsoft 365 Copilot's access to Microsoft 365 data gives it significantly more powerful capabilities and context.
Bing Chat Enterprise is limited to openly available web pages, but tricks like using the sidebar can push it farther. For full integration with Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Copilot is the best option.
FAQ
Q: What is the main difference between Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot?
A: The main difference is that Microsoft 365 Copilot has access to all your Microsoft 365 data like emails, documents etc. to provide context, while Bing Chat Enterprise does not.
Q: Can Bing Chat Enterprise summarize my emails?
A: No, Bing Chat Enterprise does not have access to read your emails. It can only summarize email content if you open an email in your browser.
Q: What is the Copilot Orchestrator?
A: The Copilot Orchestrator is a tool used by Microsoft 365 Copilot to search and access data from Microsoft 365 to provide context to AI requests.
Q: Can Bing Chat Enterprise edit my Word documents?
A: No, Bing Chat Enterprise can only read Word documents opened in your browser. It cannot directly interact or edit documents.
Q: Will Bing Chat Enterprise plugins allow access to Microsoft 365 data?
A: Potentially yes, but it's unclear if Microsoft will allow this, as it could negatively impact Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing.
Q: Should I wait for Microsoft 365 Copilot or use Bing Chat Enterprise?
A: It depends on your needs. If you require AI interaction with your Microsoft 365 data, wait for Copilot. If web search context is enough, Bing Chat Enterprise may suffice.
Q: Can I use the Bing Chat Enterprise sidebar to access my OneDrive documents?
A: Yes, by allowing the sidebar access and opening documents in your browser. However, it can only read, not edit them.
Q: What's the best way for Bing Chat Enterprise to access a single email?
A: Open the email in a new Outlook tab rather than the pop-out window. This simplifies the page for Bing Chat Enterprise to analyze.
Q: Will Bing Chat Enterprise hullucinate responses like AI assistants sometimes do?
A: Yes, Bing Chat Enterprise can occasionally provide inaccurate responses or suggest functionality that doesn't really exist.
Q: Can Bing Chat Enterprise summarize confidential business data?
A: No, the service cannot actually access proprietary data, only publicly viewable web pages and documents.