New M365 Copilot Control Panel Capabilities

Microsoft Ignite introduced several new management features for the Copilot Control System. This tool helps administrators oversee M365 Copilot. Thanks to extensive feedback, numerous enhancements have been made.  I highly recommend reviewing this longer blog posting: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/new-capabilities-for-ai-admins-from-ignite-2025/4478906

A couple of quick highlights that caught my eye:

• New dedicated home page for Copilot admins
• New oversight section that focus on 1) security / governance, 2) management controls, 3) measuring adoption
• New Copilot readiness page providing recommendations actions
• Improved organizational messages
• Action Segments allows you to target users based on their activity with additional tips on how to use Copilot
• Email Delivery Channel
• New Agent 365 control plane to manage all agents created in Microsoft platforms (including open-source and third-party).  This includes an agent registry page, agent ownership reassignment, agent pinning management, agent enablement controls, and agent policies to manage the life-cycle of agents

 

 

M365 Copilot PowerPoint Explain This feature

M365 Copilot for PowerPoint now offers a useful new feature called Explainer. With this tool, you can highlight specific content on your slides and have M365 Copilot explain it to you. This is especially helpful if your slides include acronyms, complex information, or dense material lacking clear explanations. Copilot analyzes what you've selected and provides a relevant answer.

 

Reference: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/get-clarity-on-complex-presentations-with-explainer-in-powerpoint/4479559

M365 Copilot Enterprise Commitments Extended to Anthropic Models

Back in September 2025, Microsoft announces that Anthropic models would be available to both M365 Copilot and Copilot Studio.  It was initially configured to be off by default and customers had to turn it on.

This has now changed.  Anthropic models are now covered under the Microsoft enterprise grade compliance and data handling commitments.  Thus, Anthropic models are now available by default to customers moving forward.  Customers still can disable access to Anthropic models should they choose to.  Please review the following references.

References:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/microsoft-365/enterprise-data-protection

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/microsoft-365/connect-to-ai-subprocessor

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/09/24/expanding-model-choice-in-microsoft-365-copilot/

M365 Copilot and OpenAI GPT-5.2 Now Available

OpenAI GPT-5.2 is now available to both M365 Copilot and Copilot Studio.  GPT-5.2 provides the best model for complex problem and strategic insights which is aligned with supporting business productivity users.  There are two options.  

1. Quick Response focuses on fast, concise answers for simple or time-sensitive questions.  The focus is on speed versus exhaustive reasoning.
2. Think Deeper focuses on comprehensive, analytical responses for complex or strategic queries.  This includes multi-step reasoning and explore context, implications and options.

Reference: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/12/11/available-today-gpt-5-2-in-microsoft-365-copilot/ 

Workforce Transformation Agents

Several innovative agents have been introduced with M365 Copilot, each aimed at supporting workforce transformation.

The new People Agent is designed to assist users in identifying the most suitable individuals within an organization. As organizations often evolve and grow larger over time, traditional organizational charts may not always indicate where subject matter experts reside. The People Agent locates individuals with relevant expertise and provides recommendations on whom to consult.

The Upskilling Agent is dedicated to facilitating continuous learning. Acquiring new skills can be challenging, and this agent addresses that by offering users customized learning plans and suggestions tailored to their roles and existing competencies.

Finally, the Workforce Planning Agent aids managers and leaders in efficiently analysing resource allocation, identifying potential gaps, and making recommendations for organizational restructuring.

Reference: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/introducing-new-microsoft-365-copilot-agents-to-drive-workforce-transformation/4470689

Project Opal

Project Opal is an innovative AI Agent integrated within M365 Copilot. Its primary function is to execute repetitive and manual tasks based on user guidance and instructions. Project Opal efficiently gathers information and acts upon it, facilitating the completion of workflows and processes by focusing on task execution. Common use cases include automating evidence collection, streamlining group membership access, submitting timesheets and HR leave requests, and managing user onboarding checklists.

Project Opal workflows leverage the M365 Copilot Computer Use feature, which initiates a W365 session to perform actions on behalf of the user. Users are able to observe Project Opal as it carries out tasks, modify interactions, and actively participate in the process when necessary.

This agent employs an advanced reasoning model to generate structured plans and sequentially accomplish assigned objectives. The Computer User capability enables Project Opal to efficiently complete tasks for human users while allowing real-time observation and participation.

Project Opal presents substantial opportunities for organizations seeking to automate routine activities that employees routinely manage. Tasks such as submitting monthly expense reports or compiling weekly status updates can be streamlined and automated through this solution.

Reference: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/introducing-project-opal-a-new-way-to-get-task-based-work-done/4470999

M365 Copilot Office Agents

M365 Copilot continues to broaden its functionality, offering expanded support for content and document creation. The platform now features dedicated Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Agents within M365 Copilot. Users simply access the M365 Copilot Chat, initiate the desired agent, and request document creation. M365 Copilot will then gather any necessary additional information before generating the initial draft. Once the draft is ready, users can seamlessly open and further refine the document with ongoing assistance from M365 Copilot.

While there are other tools that offer similar capabilities, M365 Copilot provides several key advantages:

• First, it utilizes genuine Office applications to generate content, ensuring that files produced are of high quality and fully compatible with Office. This approach also mitigates security risks by preventing unsafe elements such as macros or external links from accessing your data.
• Second, all generated results are grounded in your organization’s enterprise data, incorporating comprehensive permission checks throughout the process. This feature is particularly significant, as internal organizational data often holds greater value than publicly available information.
• Third, all documents created are securely stored in OneDrive, providing a compliant and protected environment for your organizational data.
• Fourth, this solution employs multi-step AI reasoning, emulating the workflow of a human consultant—planning, researching, drafting, and reviewing. This structured methodology enhances the accuracy of the results delivered.

Reference: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/introducing-word-excel-and-powerpoint-agents-in-microsoft-365-copilot/4470604