{"id":522286,"date":"2026-09-28T19:45:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T02:45:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/?p=522286"},"modified":"2026-10-05T19:53:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T02:53:25","slug":"microsoft-copilot-september-2026-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/microsoft-copilot-september-2026-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Copilot September 2026 Changes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-5dc627e1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:80%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Part of: <strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/series-ai-learnings\/\">AI Learning Series Here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column395113_e6e0a6-a4 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column395113_e6e0a6-a4 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column395113_e6e0a6-a4 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column395113_e6e0a6-a4 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column395113_e6e0a6-a4 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column395113_e6e0a6-a4 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column395113_e6e0a6-a4{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column395113_e6e0a6-a4 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column395113_e6e0a6-a4 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column395113_e6e0a6-a4\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kadence-column510545_f73041-db > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xs, 1rem);}.kadence-column510545_f73041-db > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column510545_f73041-db > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column510545_f73041-db > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column510545_f73041-db > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column510545_f73041-db > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column510545_f73041-db > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:var(--global-palette7, #EDF2F7);}.kadence-column510545_f73041-db:hover > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:var(--global-palette8, #F7FAFC);background-image:none;}.kadence-column510545_f73041-db > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column510545_f73041-db{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column510545_f73041-db > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column510545_f73041-db > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column510545_f73041-db\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4\"]{text-align:center;font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-sm, 0.9rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading510545_c22cc7-a4\">Quick Links:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/resources-for-learning-ai\/\">Resources for Learning AI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/keeping-up-with-ai\/\">Keep up with AI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/list-of-ai-tools\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"402818\">List of AI Tools<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/local-ai-series\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"519365\">Local AI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/tag\/ai-agents\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"941\">AI Agents<\/a> |  <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/work-beyond-tomorrow-series\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"365001\">Future of Work<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-id395113_97845d-28 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id395113_97845d-28 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}.kb-row-layout-id395113_97845d-28 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-xxs, 0.5rem);grid-template-columns:repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));}.kb-row-layout-id395113_97845d-28 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id395113_97845d-28 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kb-row-layout-id395113_97845d-28 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id395113_97845d-28 alignnone wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-2-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top\">\n<style>.kadence-column395113_fb3852-97 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column395113_fb3852-97 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column395113_fb3852-97 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column395113_fb3852-97 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column395113_fb3852-97 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column395113_fb3852-97 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column395113_fb3852-97{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column395113_fb3852-97 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column395113_fb3852-97 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column395113_fb3852-97\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff\"]{text-align:center;font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-sm, 0.9rem);line-height:60px;font-style:normal;background-color:#f5a511;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_0b34c1-ff\">Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/go.35s.be\/jtb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>JorgeTechBits  newsletter<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column395113_1641f9-51 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column395113_1641f9-51 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column395113_1641f9-51 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column395113_1641f9-51 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column395113_1641f9-51 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column395113_1641f9-51 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column395113_1641f9-51{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column395113_1641f9-51 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column395113_1641f9-51 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column395113_1641f9-51\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35\"]{text-align:center;font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-sm, 0.9rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading395113_63dab8-35\">Explore the <a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/latest-token-prices\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"521255\">Latest Token Prices<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"htthttps:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/book-dont-just-chat-delegate\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CoverBook-01-640x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-520234\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6250142320391666;width:98px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CoverBook-01-640x1024.jpg 640w, https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CoverBook-01-188x300.jpg 188w, https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CoverBook-01-768x1229.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CoverBook-01-960x1536.jpg 960w, https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CoverBook-01-1280x2048.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CoverBook-01.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/book-series-ai-dont-just-chat\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"520242\">Check out the Book Series<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66\"]{font-size:var(--global-kb-font-size-sm, 0.9rem);font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading519190_af62a4-66\"><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong> <strong>I create this content entirely on my own time, and the views expressed here are mine alone (not my employer&#8217;s)<\/strong>. Because I love leveraging new tech, I use AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and others as a &#8220;digital team&#8221; to help research and polish these articles so I can share the best possible insights with you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microsoft Copilot is changing again. But the important story is not simply a better chatbot or another feature inside Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bottom line: Microsoft Copilot: More Capabilities, Two Ways to Pay<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The changes announced across August and September 2026 point toward something bigger: a unified place to ask questions, delegate work, build applications, and run proactive digital teammates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alongside that expansion comes an increasingly important pricing distinction: a per-user subscription for everyday AI, plus usage-based charges for advanced AI work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In my August post, <em>Microsoft Copilot: From Price per Token to Business Value<\/em>, I explored why organizations need to look beyond raw AI consumption and focus on what the technology actually delivers. Microsoft\u2019s latest announcements make that conversation even more relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The question is no longer just, \u201cHow many people need Copilot?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is also, \u201cWhat work should we delegate to AI, what will it cost, and how will we know it was worth it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A New Name, Too<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before getting into the new capabilities, there is another change worth clarifying: the Microsoft 365 Copilot app is becoming the Microsoft Copilot app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The consolidation began rolling out in August, bringing the previously separate personal and work Copilot experiences into a single application. Microsoft is also simplifying the app\u2019s name and icon and consolidating the web experience at <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/copilot.cloud.microsoft\">copilot.cloud.microsoft<\/a>, replacing the previous Microsoft 365 Copilot app address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is an app and experience change\u2014not a renaming of the Microsoft 365 subscription or a removal of the distinction between free, licensed, and usage-based capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That distinction matters. A simpler name does not necessarily mean simpler licensing. Users may enter through one Copilot application, but what they can access\u2014and what their organization pays for\u2014still depends on their account, licenses, enabled features, and administrative policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The August consolidation and September redesign therefore belong to the same broader story: Microsoft is bringing more AI capabilities into one front door, while retaining different ways to pay for the work performed behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From Assistant to Work Platform<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microsoft\u2019s September 25 announcement reorganizes the Copilot experience around Home, Code, and Autopilot. Behind those names is a useful progression: assisting, delegating, building, and automating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Experience<\/th><th>What it does<\/th><th>Why it matters<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Home and Chat<\/td><td>Provides a common starting point for questions, drafts, analysis, and conversations.<\/td><td>Keeps everyday assistance close at hand.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cowork within Home<\/td><td>Works through a defined, multistep task to produce a completed result.<\/td><td>Moves from answering questions to doing delegated work.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Code<\/td><td>Builds apps, trackers, dashboards, and other solutions from natural-language instructions.<\/td><td>Gives business users another way to solve problems beyond documents and spreadsheets.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Autopilot<\/td><td>Operates as a persistent, proactive personal agent with its own identity and workspace.<\/td><td>Supports ongoing responsibilities rather than only one-off requests.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These capabilities have different rollout schedules. An announcement does not mean every feature is immediately available to every customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Office is also moving deeper into the Copilot experience. Microsoft describes creating and updating real Word documents, Excel workbooks, and PowerPoint presentations within the conversation, with collaboration and synchronization across the Office applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That matters because generating a draft is only part of the job. The practical value comes from turning it into something editable, shareable, and ready for business use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Code introduces another important element: Microsoft Copilot Managed Runtime. This hosting infrastructure is intended to let applications built through Cowork, Code, and Copilot Studio run in a governed environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Microsoft IQ expands the business context available to Copilot. The direction is clear: connect workplace knowledge with operational business data, rather than simply retrieve another document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For enterprises, this is a shift from an AI assistant embedded in applications toward a broader platform for AI-enabled work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Pricing Change That Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The headline is straightforward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Everyday AI stays on the subscription. Advanced AI adds a consumption meter.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microsoft describes these components as a User Subscription License, or USL, and Usage-Based Billing, or UBB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the advanced capabilities covered by the September announcement, usage billing sits on top of the subscription. It is not an alternative way to avoid the seat license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Pricing component<\/th><th>What it covers<\/th><th>Budget implication<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Per-user subscription<\/td><td>Everyday Copilot Chat and assistance across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.<\/td><td>A predictable baseline tied to licensed users.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Usage-based billing<\/td><td>Cowork, Code, Autopilot, certain advanced SharePoint experiences, and specified frontier models.<\/td><td>A variable cost tied to advanced AI consumption, measured through Copilot Credits.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not a wholesale move to token billing. Copilot Credits are a commercial unit used to measure eligible consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The September 2026 Copilot Credits Guide lists pay-as-you-go pricing at $0.01 per credit and describes a one-year prepaid purchase option. But a credit is not the same thing as a prompt, a token, or a completed business task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That distinction matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Knowing the price of a credit does not tell you the price of preparing a customer briefing, building an application, or completing a complex financial workflow. Consumption can vary with the model, runtime, context, and tools involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is another nuance: subscription access does not mean unlimited use of every model. Microsoft says fair-use limits remain. For some advanced models, users who reach a limit can switch to Auto without an additional charge or move to credits where that option is enabled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Auto therefore becomes more than a convenience. Microsoft says it considers accuracy, speed, and cost when selecting a model and reasoning effort for a request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every summary needs the most expensive model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where the Billing Boundary Sits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SharePoint provides a useful example of the hybrid model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microsoft announced general availability for Copilot in SharePoint, with worldwide rollout beginning September 30. Everyday capabilities remain included with the Microsoft 365 Copilot license, while advanced capabilities consume Copilot Credits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Included capabilities<\/th><th>Credit-based capabilities<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Asking questions about content.<\/td><td>Working across large content collections.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Creating and organizing content.<\/td><td>Completing multistep delegated tasks.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Building reusable skills.<\/td><td>Generating and editing images.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Certain metadata enrichment.<\/td><td>AI-generated site analytics and near-real-time metadata autofill.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Deterministic workflows triggered by a schedule or column change.<\/td><td>Other advanced experiences identified in Microsoft\u2019s billing documentation.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The important takeaway: <em>automation does not automatically mean an extra charge<\/em>. The product, capability, and scale determine where the billing boundary sits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider a supplier review as an illustration:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ask Copilot to summarize a supplier document: everyday assistance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delegate a review package that combines multiple sources and produces several outputs: the kind of work Microsoft positions for Cowork.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assign ongoing monitoring and follow-up responsibilities: the kind of work Microsoft positions for Autopilot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cowork and Autopilot fall within the announced usage-based model. Their value should be evaluated against the work they replace or improve\u2014not simply the number of prompts involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business Value Needs Cost Control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where the argument from my previous post becomes more practical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A credit-based model can help organizations scale AI beyond individual productivity. It also introduces a management responsibility: understanding which workflows consume money, what they produce, and whether those outputs are useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consumption billing is not outcome-based pricing. An agent can consume resources while producing something that still needs correction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Organizations should therefore measure the cost of a usable result, including human review and rework\u2014not just the cost of running the agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microsoft is expanding its \u201cFinOps for AI\u201d capabilities to support that responsibility. Announced controls include departmental and user spending policies, threshold alerts, model-family access policies, consumption insights, and end-user visibility into credit usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For enterprise customers, Microsoft says usage-based services remain off until an administrator creates a spending policy. However, existing policies may automatically include newly available services, so administrators need to review policy scope as well as spending limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My recommendation is to evaluate advanced AI workflows using five questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What business task are we delegating?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does that task cost today?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is the total AI cost, including review and correction?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is the result accurate and useful enough to act on?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who owns the budget, permissions, and ongoing oversight?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The opportunity is substantial, but the purchasing conversation needs to mature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A seat license buys access to everyday assistance. Advanced consumption buys additional AI work. Neither, by itself, guarantees business value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The real measure is whether Copilot helps the organization complete worthwhile work better\u2014and at an acceptable total cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References and Video Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My previous article<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jorgep.com\/blog\/microsoft-copilot-from-price-per-token-to-business-value\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft Copilot: From Price per Token to Business Value<\/a> \u2014 Jorge Pereira, August 5, 2026. The foundation for this follow-up: evaluating AI through business outcomes rather than raw consumption alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/y0myWtHap6Y?si=jYwV3qlWjIstRrXi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The NEW Microsoft Copilot Super App \u2013 Everything That\u2019s Changing<\/a> \u2014 Mike Tholfsen, October 5, 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/gh8gs2eSc0c?si=BdRoBq5L2Pc7hKz_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft Just Changed Copilot. Here\u2019s What You Need to Know<\/a> \u2014 Lisa Crosbie, September 28, 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/6vzjPJQxmKw?si=VEx-8wpmMBmXMtva\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft Just Completely Changed Copilot<\/a> \u2014 Steve Corey, September 27, 2026,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Microsoft announcements and documentation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.microsoft.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/25\/introducing-the-new-copilot-with-home-code-and-autopilot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Introducing the new Copilot with Home, Code and Autopilot<\/a> \u2014 September 25, 2026. Primary source for the redesigned Copilot experience, Cowork, Code, Autopilot, Managed Runtime, and expanded business-data grounding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/techcommunity.microsoft.com\/blog\/microsoft-copilot-blog\/evolution-of-the-copilot-pricing-model\/4559416\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Evolution of the Copilot pricing model<\/a> \u2014 September 25, 2026. Primary source for subscription versus usage-based billing, advanced-model access, Auto, and FinOps controls.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com\/is\/content\/microsoftcorp\/microsoft\/bade\/documents\/products-and-services\/en-us\/ai\/CopilotCreditsGuideSeptember2026.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Copilot Credits Guide<\/a> \u2014 September 2026. Pricing reference for Copilot Credits, including the $0.01 pay-as-you-go rate and prepaid purchasing option.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/techcommunity.microsoft.com\/blog\/spblog\/sharepoint-ai-innovations-hit-ga-powering-new-copilot-app-and-agents\/4555724\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SharePoint AI innovations hit GA, powering new Copilot app and agents<\/a> \u2014 Primary source for the September 30 rollout and the distinction between included and credit-based SharePoint capabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/microsoft-365-copilot\/the-microsoft-365-app-transition-to-the-microsoft-365-copilot-app\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Microsoft 365 app transition to the Microsoft Copilot app<\/a> \u2014<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.directionsonmicrosoft.com\/microsoft-shows-off-its-new-copilot-super-app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft Shows Off Its New Copilot \u2018Super App\u2019<\/a> \u2014 September 25, 2026. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.windowslatest.com\/2026\/09\/25\/stop-it-microslop-microsoft-adds-to-its-branding-confusion-tells-users-to-follow-copilot-for-microsoft-365-updates-on-x\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Microsoft combines its Copilot apps<\/a> \u2014 September 25, 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Microsoft Copilot is changing again. But the important story is not simply a better chatbot or another feature inside Word. Bottom line: Microsoft Copilot: More Capabilities, Two Ways to Pay The changes announced across August and September 2026 point toward something bigger: a unified place to ask questions, delegate work, build applications, and run proactive&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":447242,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1068,1031,1069,681,441],"tags":[941,930,894,870,730],"class_list":["post-522286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai-emerging-technology","category-ai-learnings-series","category-modern-workplace-it","category-moderneuc2","category-tech-talk","tag-ai-agents","tag-ai-series","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-copilot","tag-microsoft-365"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":1068,"label":"AI &amp; 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