Microsoft has unveiled a new Copilot app that combines chat, coding and AI agent functions in one.

Microsoft also renamed its AI personal assistant "Scout," introduced at this year's Build conference, to "Autopilot."

A report by The Verge on Sept. 25 said the new Copilot app consists of three tabs: Home, Code and Autopilot, combining Copilot Chat and Cowork on the Home tab.

Microsoft also plans to offer a personalised dashboard called "Today" via Home that brings together key emails, meeting requests and Teams conversations.

The Code tab supports app users in creating trackers, dashboards and automation tools and sharing them with colleagues. Jared Spataro (재러드 스파타로), Microsoft chief marketing officer for workplace AI, said, "Code works with technology like GitHub Copilot and runs in a sandbox environment."

Autopilot is based in the cloud and continues to work even while users are asleep. It reviews Teams channels and handles repetitive tasks and follow-ups. Microsoft introduced Scout as a desktop app, but switched it to a cloud-based approach in Autopilot.

Spataro, the CMO, explained, "Autopilot has its own identity, memory, computer and workspace inside the customer tenant," adding, "You can call it with @mentions like a colleague in Teams and Outlook."

Microsoft will apply usage-based pricing to Cowork, Code and Autopilot. Companies pay more if they run agents longer or use models such as Astra and Fable. With a basic Copilot licence, users can use Copilot in chat and in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. IT administrators can manage AI costs with Microsoft's AI FinOps.

Copilot's Home and Code tabs will be rolled out first to users of the early AI access programme Frontier within weeks. Autopilot is scheduled to be released in a private preview in late September.