Microsoft on Monday announced a new artificial intelligence system designed to move beyond answering questions and instead carry out work tasks across its productivity software. The initiative, unveiled by Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella, introduces a feature called Copilot Cowork inside Microsoft 365, aimed at allowing users to delegate complex tasks that can be executed across emails, documents, calendars, and other workplace tools.
The announcement signals a broader shift in how the company is positioning AI inside its widely used business platform. Rather than functioning only as a conversational assistant, Copilot Cowork is designed to translate user intent into automated actions that unfold across multiple applications within the Microsoft ecosystem. According to Nadella, the goal is to enable Copilot to complete tasks, run workflows, and carry out work on behalf of users while remaining under their supervision.
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— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) March 9, 2026
In a post announcing the update, Nadella wrote that the new system represents “a new way to complete tasks and get work done” in Microsoft 365. He explained that when a user assigns a task, Cowork “turns your request into a plan and executes it across your apps and files, grounded in your work data and operating within M365’s security and governance boundaries.”
The concept builds on the rapid adoption of Copilot across Microsoft products over the past year. Early versions helped users draft emails, summarize documents, and retrieve information. The company now describes the next stage as turning those prompts into active workflows that continue running in the background.
Copilot Cowork operates by using signals from applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Excel. The system draws from emails, meetings, files, and messaging data to interpret what a user wants to accomplish. Once a task is delegated, the system generates a plan with checkpoints that allow the user to review progress, approve actions, pause execution, or make adjustments along the way.
Microsoft said the system can coordinate multiple tasks simultaneously, allowing users to keep several workflows running in the background while focusing on other work.
Company materials outlined several examples of how the system could be used in everyday business settings. One scenario involves managing a crowded work schedule. Cowork can analyze a user’s calendar, identify conflicts or low-priority meetings, and propose changes. After approval, it can reschedule meetings, decline invitations, add blocks for focused work, and even prepare briefing documents for upcoming discussions.
Another example focuses on meeting preparation. A user could ask the system to prepare for a client meeting, prompting Cowork to gather relevant emails and documents, schedule preparation time, generate a briefing memo, create a presentation deck, and draft a follow-up email summarizing key points and decisions.
The company also revealed that the system integrates technology developed by Anthropic, the artificial intelligence firm behind the Claude family of models. Microsoft said it has incorporated technology related to Claude Cowork into its Copilot platform, part of what the company described as a “multi-model” approach that allows different AI systems to be used depending on the task.
The collaboration represents a notable development in the rapidly evolving AI industry. Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI and owns a significant stake of 27% in the company, yet the new system also incorporates technology from another major AI developer. The company said its platform is designed to host innovations from across the industry rather than relying on a single model provider.
Industry observers have described the move as one of Microsoft’s most significant AI product updates of the year because it shifts the focus from AI assistants toward systems capable of executing real workflows across workplace software. By embedding those capabilities inside Microsoft 365, the company is targeting the millions of organizations that already rely on its productivity tools.
Copilot Cowork is currently being tested with a limited group of customers as part of a research preview. Microsoft said broader access will begin rolling out through its Frontier program later in March 2026.
Nadella, who has led Microsoft since 2014 and has overseen the company’s aggressive expansion into cloud computing and artificial intelligence, has an estimated net worth of about $1.3 billion, according to Forbes.
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