There are lots of different AI assistants out there, but I really like Copilot because it does things that others don't. Having a free GPT-4 Turbo model you can use at any time is great, plus Copilot added sources to its replies before anyone else did. However, I also really like how Copilot comes with some plugins that you can use for free. These plugins help enhance the tool further by focusing the chatbot on achieving a specific goal, which is great if you want more focused responses.

The idea is great, but some of the plugins are a little hit-and-miss. For example, the Suno plugin can generate songs with AI, but the results are not fantastic and I don't really like using it. However, within Copilot are a few really good plugins that work well and do what they say they do, so I wanted to give a special mention to these great additions to Copilot.

1 Phone

A great addition to Phone Link on Windows

Okay, so one thing you need to get used to real quick is how simple the plugin names can get. For example, "Phone" is an extension to the Phone Link on Windows. If you attach your smartphone to your Microsoft account through Phone Link, you can then use it through Copilot with some handy features.

As you might expect through Copilot, you can't do everything you ever want with the plugin. For example, calling people through the AI assistant is a no-go, and you can't use it to open apps or modify the system in any way. However, it does let you look up your contacts and send texts to them by mentioning their name instead of typing out their number every time. Plus, you can use it to check your SMS messages. Copilot even detected that I had unread messages from my internet engineer and told me that I should probably check them out.

2 OpenTable

A good option for those who like to dine in or out

Do you like eating at restaurants, or getting food delivered to you? Then OpenTable is a good plugin to try. You can ask it for restaurant and delivery options in your area, and OpenTable will identify where you are and give you recommendations on where you can go. You can also mention a specific city and it will find places you can eat there; good if you're planning a trip and want somewhere to grab dinner.

I also like how OpenTable takes dietary concerns into account. For example, you can mention that you want restaurants with vegetarian options, and OpenTable will take that into account too. If you don't know where to grab food next, why not give OpenTable a try and see if it can dig up your next favorite place to eat?

3 Shop

For my final pick, we return to the simple naming conventions for plugins. Shop does what Shop says it does; it lets you look up products online and find the best prices. What I really like about Shop is that you can give it a specific parameter and it will do its best to meet it. For example, you can ask for the cheapest gaming keyboard, and it will find the best deals online. You can also go for the best gaming keyboard, and Shop will disregard the cost and instead look for products that excel in specific areas.

Because Copilot cites where it gets its information, you can follow the links for any claims that Shop makes and see why it said what it said. For example, if Shop claims that a keyboard has advanced macro control and cites its source, you can click through to see the article it based its knowledge on. There's a very good chance that the source is a review or an opinion piece, meaning you can read up more about the keyboard Shop picked out for you to form a better opinion. And Shop will also find the best price online, so you can save some cash when you find the product you're looking for.

Copilot's plugins can be hit-or-miss, but these ones work well

If you do decide to hop into Copilot's plugins, just remember that they're not all winners. Some of the ones I tried were very finicky, and I wouldn't recommend using them for serious inquiries. However, the above three are ones that I enjoy using, and I think you should give them a spin the next time you have Copilot open and want to mess around with what it can do for you.