Tech Tip - How To Get The Most Out Of Chatting with Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is such a powerful tool, it is easy to use, but it is also easy to use it badly so you don't get the best out of it.  In simple terms, there are various versions, free in Windows 11, Web, cut down version included with Business Premium or a fully licensed that fully integrates with Microsoft 365.

Copilot is Microsoft's AI (Artificial Intelligence) digital assistant and like all AI tools it uses Large Language Models (LLM)  which is a machine learning model that means it uses vast amounts of data to perform natural language processing tasks. LLMs can generate, translate, predict AND summarise text. LLMs also means the AI can also answer naturally worded questions and perform other tasks, just by asking.

Copilot's interface can be accessed via the web, in the Microsoft 365 applications, via your smart phone, smart watch or tablet and it will run on Windows and MacOS.  Some computers even now come with a Copilot key on the keyboard, making access even quicker and easier.  You can type your questions or if your hardware has a mic, speak to Copilot to ask what you need help with.  If you have it licensed in your Microsoft 365 tenant it can also search through all of the information you have access to, including SharePoint, OneDrive, Emails, Teams chats etc. 

Whilst this can be really useful, it can also be dangerous, so be careful how you use it.  If you are privy to sensitive information you don't want to share, Copilot won't know this, so it could, inadvertently, access and use information it shouldn't when you ask it to do things, for example HR records, salaries etc, that it could use whilst generating your output.  This is why it pays to ask the right way with Copilot and to verify the output each time.  

Here are some tips on how to ask the right way to get the most out of Copilot:

• Start off simple - when you first start out using Copilot, ask a simple question to begin with
• When you get your first result from Copilot, start to tighten the result by asking for more specifics
• Keep narrowing the results bit by bit to refine the results further
• When you get close to what you want, it is time to ask Copilot for more options, whilst you may be happy with the result, Copilot can always come up with more suggestions and improvements that you may not even have thought of
• Examine the output, just to make sure Copilot hasn't overshared information it has access to inside your organisation, Copilot loves to be helpful, but it often can't differentiate between what it should or shouldn't use so ALWAYS check the output before you share with others.  Don't abdicate responsibility to Copilot!

For a bit of fun I am going to get ask Copilot in Microsoft Word to help me write a letter to the local council about missing a bin collection.

First, I asked Copilot a simple question "help me write a letter to the council about missing our bin collection"

Copilot responded with:

Letter to the Council Regarding Missed Bin Collection

[Your Name]

[Address]

Dear [Council's Name],

Re: Missed Bin Collection on [Specific Date]

I am writing to bring to your attention an issue regarding the missed collection of our bins on [specific date]. Despite placing the bins out for collection as per the usual schedule, they were not collected.

The non-collection of bins has caused inconvenience, as the waste has begun to accumulate, potentially posing a health hazard. Our address is [Your Address], and this issue has affected not only our household but also several of our neighbours.

I kindly request that an immediate arrangement be made for the collection of the missed bins. Additionally, I would appreciate it if the council could investigate the cause of this oversight to prevent future occurrences.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to a swift resolution.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name]

Next I asked it to be more specific, tightening my criteria with more information with the following "can you add that we saw the truck but they drove past our house as if they were instructed to skip our address"

Letter to the Council Regarding Missed Bin Collection

[Your Name]

[Address]

Dear [Council's Name],

Re: Missed Bin Collection on [Specific Date]

I am writing to bring to your attention an issue regarding the missed collection of our bins on [specific date]. Despite placing the bins out for collection as per the usual schedule, they were not collected. On that day, we saw the collection truck drive past our house as if they were instructed to skip our address.

The non-collection of bins has caused inconvenience, as the waste has begun to accumulate, potentially posing a health hazard. Our address is [Your Address], and this issue has affected not only our household but also several of our neighbours.

I kindly request that an immediate arrangement be made for the collection of the missed bins. Additionally, I would appreciate it if the council could investigate the cause of this oversight to prevent future occurrences.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to a swift resolution.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name]

Lastly I have asked it for the option "Could you make it less formal and more fun" just to show what Copilot would do to the output to change it up based on my options with the following result:

Hey Council, What's Up with Our Bins?

[Your Name]

[Address]

Hey [Council's Name],

Re: Our Bins Didn't Get Picked Up!

Just wanted to give you a heads-up that our bins didn't get collected on [specific date]. We had them out like always, but the truck just cruised on by as if our house was invisible!

Now, we've got a pile-up of rubbish that's starting to look like a mini landfill. It's not just us – our neighbours are dealing with the same mess. We're at [Your Address], in case you need to know where to send help.

Could you please arrange for someone to grab our bins ASAP? And maybe check out why the truck decided to skip us? We'd really appreciate it!

Thanks a bunch for sorting this out. Looking forward to seeing the truck back soon!

Cheers,

[Your Name]

The above output was generated using the fully licensed version of Copilot, if you would like more information or help getting Copilot up and running, give us a call and we can happily assist with your business or organisation getting the most out of Copilot.