AI GlossaryㅋWords you meet while using AI
Copilot
"Co-pilot" — a term for AI that assists people alongside them in their work, and also Microsoft's AI brand name.
In plain words
Meaning "co-pilot," this term refers to AI that helps people with their work from the sidelines. GitHub Copilot (code autocomplete), launched in 2021, cemented the name, and Microsoft later adopted it as the brand for its entire AI lineup, embedding it into Word, Excel, and Windows.
Because the generic term and the trademark are used interchangeably, you need to read the context carefully — "copilot-style AI" refers to the concept of human-led work with AI assistance, while "MS Copilot update" refers to news about a specific product. The recent trend is a shift in weight from copilots where humans hold the wheel to agents where AI drives directly.
See also
Stories using this term
- Microsoft Publishes a Production-Scale Study of Copilot Coding AgentsAI · 2026.09.15
- Turn technical book PDFs into AI skills, save up to 51x on tokensAI · 2026.08.23
- Solo Developer's 125M Model Auto-Completes Piano Playing on iPhoneAI · 2026.08.21
- Open-source app lets you grow a mini LLM from scratch on a MacBookAI · 2026.08.16
- Microsoft merges Copilot apps, drops Mico characterBusiness · 2026.08.14
- OpenAI Adds $125/Month Premium Seat to ChatGPT BusinessBusiness · 2026.08.12