Microsoft is launching its Teams’ AI library next month to enable developers to build AI-powered tools and enhance worker productivity.
The library is a series of code functionalities to help integrate large language models (LLMs) into Teams, empowering developers to build sophisticated conversational Teams apps to improve colleague efficiency.
The official roadmap entry wrote:
The Teams AI library offers developers a suite of code functionalities designed to ease the integration of Large Language Models, empowering them to build rich, conversational Teams apps. It simplifies the process of creating Bots and Message Extensions, as well as interactions with Adaptive Cards for conversational experiences.”
The Teams AI library will also include features for producing bots, message extensions and adaptive cards to help the integration of LLMs. This enables developers to leverage the latest updates to AI to enhance their app functionality.
The update is currently in public developer preview before rolling out in general availability in October. It will be released on Mac, iOS, Desktop, and Android.
The Copilot Hype Keeps on Building Momentum
Microsoft’s vanguard AI solution, Copilot, will be integrated across the entire Microsoft 365 suite, including Word, Excel, Power, Outlook, and Teams. From intelligent Teams meeting recaps to drafting Outlook emails with diverse tones, its exhaustive (and growing) list of productivity-enhancing features is an increasingly attractive product that could disrupt how many businesses operate.
Last month, Microsoft shuttered Windows support for Cortana support, underlining its commitment to introducing more powerful AI-powered productivity tools across its suites, with Copilot at the epicentre.
Earlier this month, Microsoft also promised Copilot customers legal protections around copyright.
As questions over the legality of how AI computes copyright-protected IP continues to grow, the Copilot Copyright Commitment aims to address concerns around IP infringement among customers planning to sign up for the service.
However, Copilot’s newly announced pricing at this year’s Inspire also stirred controversy. Copilot will cost $30 per user per month and will be available for users with Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard and Business Premium users when it becomes generally available.
The introduction of Copilot would almost double the cost for Microsoft E3 subscribers. For E3, Microsoft currently charges businesses $36 per user per month, including Office apps, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Microsoft 365 Business Standard customers now pay $12.50 per user per month, almost a third of the extra Copilot expense.
Likewise, the lack of a firm general availability date for Copilot is prompting uncertainty for Microsoft’s partners, who are caught in a difficult position in selling the product without being able to confirm to customers when they will have access to its features.
What About Microsoft’s Other AI Projects?
Bing Chat Enterprise is perhaps the most high-profile of Microsoft’s other AI services.
Bing Chat Enterprise was initially announced at Microsoft Inspire 2023. Bing Chat’s generative AI features were previously only available in Edge for consumers.
In March, Microsoft revolutionised Bing and Edge by integrating an AI-powered experience with ChatGPT features into the search engine and browser. The solution leveraged OpenAI’s and Microsoft’s proprietary Prometheus models, implementing AI within the search algorithm and adding a more sophisticated user experience. Microsoft described it as a “copilot for the web”.
Last month, Bing Chat Enterprise became available in preview for several Microsoft 365 licences, including Microsoft 365 A3 and A5 and the E3 and E5. Business Standard and Business Premium have had access since July.
Bing Chat Enterprise will cost $5 per user per month when released as a standalone product. It will be free for those customers with existing Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium subscriptions.
Later in August, Microsoft launched support for Bing Chat Enterprise in the Windows Copilot Preview. Eligible business customers could access Bing Chat Enterprise via the Windows Copilot panel. However, customers must have been on the Windows Insider Dev Channel to access the Windows Copilot Preview.
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