Microsoft is going all out with its AI assistant, Copilot. It's for a good reason; with the popularity of ChatGPT showing how AI can be done, companies all over the globe are figuring out ways to implement artificial intelligence into their products. Given how Microsoft has been working on Copilot for a little while now, it was a prime candidate for the Redmond giant's ventures into AI.

However, Microsoft may be going a little too fast with Copilot, so much so that the company runs the risk of making people sick and tired of the AI assistant before it can reach its potential. As such, here is how Microsoft might be causing Copilot burnout.

Microsoft Copilot isn't quite "there" yet

It still needs some time in the oven

Microsoft advertises Copilot as an AI assistant for your PC. In fact, the company has stated a few times that they hope Copilot will be as influential, if not more, than the Start button. The problem is that Copilot isn't quite "there" in terms of being a full AI assistant. You can ask it to perform basic tasks on your operating system, but anything past turning on dark mode or muting the audio is a little too complex for Copilot right now.

Microsoft is pushing Copilot as a core product

Advanced Copilot features now come with a monthly fee

Copilot not being quite complete enough would normally be fine; it would just mean that Microsoft would need some time to iron out the kinks and make it a true AI assistant before really putting it out there. The problem is that Microsoft is already putting a lot of weight on Copilot to perform, including financially.

In the first month of 2024, we had Copilot go from a handy AI assistant to being a core part of Microsoft Edge for mobile devices to the point where the tech giant rebranded the app to call it an AI browser. It's worth noting that Microsoft didn't add any new features to Copilot to prompt the rebrand; they only brought the mobile version up to speed with the web version. And now, Microsoft is asking for $20 monthly to unlock Copilot Pro, which adds functionality to Office and unlocks new GPTs as they are released. Copilot doesn't have time to bake in the oven; it's already served to people as is.

Copilot is spreading across the entire Microsoft ecosystem

You can't escape even if you wanted to

It's fine if Copilot isn't quite at its potential but is still being pushed as a complete product. As long as Copilot is treated as a niche AI tool enthusiasts can subscribe to, it can organically grow into something bigger and eventually draw in people with its features.

However, Microsoft isn't giving time for that organic growth to happen; it's already everywhere. You can find Copilot on the web and see it integrated within Bing. Copilot arrived as an AI assistant on Windows 11 and then was ported to Windows 10. Microsoft Edge has a Copilot button both on the sidebar and in the screenshotting tool, and there's a dedicated Copilot app you can download for your mobile device.

It's very clear that Microsoft wants Copilot to be your one-stop shop for all your AI needs, no matter where in its ecosystem you are. But for people who are already a bit tired of hearing about AI solutions, having Copilot crop up in all their apps may be the final straw.

Copilot is becoming a staple service on Windows devices

Don't let your cat hit the Copilot key on your keyboard

But it's alright if Copilot isn't quite done yet; it's being treated as a full product and permeating all of Microsoft's services. After all, you choose what software to run on your Windows system. If you don't want Office with Copilot, alternative office suites exist. Don't like Copilot's integration within Edge? Use a different browser. The problem is that Copilot is going to be a staple within Windows itself.

At the time of writing, there's a feature on the Insiders channel that automatically opens Copilot if you're using a widescreen monitor. Microsoft is also adding a dedicated Copilot key to keyboards that works like the existing Windows key. Sources state that Microsoft's biggest current project, Windows 12, will use AI as a core feature, and you know deep down that Microsoft will make Copilot the AI-powered keystone within the operating system. And if that happens, everyone who buys a new PC will have Copilot with them by default.

As such, there's a very good chance people will get sick and tired of Copilot before Microsoft can make it reach its full potential. We've already seen this in the past, when people fell out with the Cortana assistant and it being phased out. And I'm worried that Copilot is on the road to falling to the same fate.

Microsoft needs to be careful with Copilot

In a vacuum, there's nothing wrong with Copilot. It's a great GPT-based assistant; it has all the features you want from one, has a generous free plan, and there's a ton of potential within it. However, I think Microsoft is trying to push it out the gate too quickly and too soon, and if the public doesn't respond well, we'll be on the road to Copilot burnout.