Microsoft Copilot - supporting research

 This article, was published mid-2025, providing an overview of the impact of Copilot researcher and analyst agents on work. 

Having now used both for 6 months plus, my take on these two agents, is that they can be useful, but need to used with care. 

1) working out what is to be done is important. Responses from researcher or analyst agents, arise through the prompts provided. Careful structuring of prompts is therefore essential in obtaining the types of actions required. Otherwise, researcher may go off topic quite easily.

2) providing context is important and delimiting the researcher/analyse agents to specific papers, websites or attachments help ringfence the direction of responses.

3) using the prompt writing agent in Copilot can be useful for tightening prompts.

4) ensuring that 'work or 'web' is selected, along with depth of responses (auto, quick, think deeper) helps again to ensure responses fit expectations.

5) Triangulation is always required, to check the validity of the responses. Limiting resources also help to save time, so that triangulation is restricted and does not have to go all over the place.

6) Draw on the advantages of AI. Summarising key points, comparison of key points across papers/sites, drilling deeper to extend insights, providing 'neutral' perspectives on conceptualisations, frameworks etc.

7) be aware of 'cognitive debt' / 'cognitive atrophy' and how this can come about very easily when your critical thinking is replaced by AI doing the work. You still need to read deeply, cogitate, make your own judgements and come up with your own synthesis. Then use AI to cross check these and see if it provides other insights which are viable.

8) Continue to learn how to manage AI to draw on it's ability to automate some research processes. The key is to use AI as a thinking partner, not to replace your own effortful thinking.

Copilot agents

A bit of 'research' into Copilot agents this morning, following on from yesterday's session on building agents in CoPilot. 

Microsoft 365 Copilot Premium (now often simply M365 Copilot) offers "declarative agents" designed for lightweight, personalized tasks using organizational data, managed within the M365 environment.  on the other hand Copilot Studio enables creation of advanced, custom agents with complex, multi-step workflows, API connections, and full lifecycle governance. 

Microsoft Copilot Studio in New Zealand is generally licensed as a tenant-wide capacity 

pack, starting at approximately NZ$323.60 per pack/month. This subscription provides 25,000 "Copilot Credits" monthly, which are consumed when agents complete actions or responses

The cost of Microsoft 365 Copilot in New Zealand varies depending on whether you are 

purchasing for an individual or a business, with prices generally starting around NNZ$34–$40 per user/month for business subscriptions

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Education is priced at approximately NZ$30–$32 for academic institutions. This specialized academic license provides AI-powered assistance for faculty, staff, and higher education students, acting as an add-on to existing Microsoft 365 A3/A5 license.

Templates for business type agents include a Quiz tutor template and a series of  'assistants' for various job tasks including travel planning, peer feedback agent, training content writer.

A guide for educators  provides ideas for using agents in educational settings. 

Overall, there are good possibilities :) 

Microsoft - introduction to building agents

 The last in the 'back to campus series' offered through Microsoft (based in Australia). 

As with the other two sessions I attended, Jennifer Ruan is the facilitator and Victor Kochetkov does the demonstration.

Notes taken during the session:

Covering what are agents, what tools exist, to through building an agent and Q & A. 

Explained Copilot as a user interface for AI. Currently there are agents accessible through Copilot and also customised agents can be build in individual copilot accounts.

Copilot is for human augmentation, private, personal assistant and 1:1 interaction.

Agents connected to Copilot, chat or autonomous and can contact with other agents.

Out of the box agents on Copilot include surveys, researcher, analyst etc. If (frontier) then they are in initial phase.

Copilot is off the shelf, retrieval only and connects to Microsoft 365 only. Copilot Studio provides task/autonomy and for developers with more complex task. Developers can also build customised agents with Copilot Studio + Azure AI.

Went through Copilot - using 'new agent' on the left menu to access. Generally, describe what you want to do, configure the agent by adding knowledge and capabilities, try out as it is being build and then use/share with others. 

Copilot agents can be shifted across to Copilot Studio to make them more sophisticated. Studio has more comprehensive tools, wide selection of models, able to publish to multiple channels and has more powerful orchestration. 

Agents generally retrieve information and reason, summarise etc. They can also take action to automate workflows and replace repetitive tasks. Automous agents will operate independently, plan, orchestrate other agents, learn and escalate. 

Example in education, an IT helpdesk agent, devise refresh agent, research tracker agent, budget management agent, study guide agent, student support agent etc.

Note: agents build in premium cannot be used by others who only have access to Copilot basic without extra billing!!

Demonstrated how to create an agent. I create one to compare Learning Outcomes against NZQA criteria in 2 minutes! Also, ask prompt agent or chat to help create the agent, providing the best prompts to use. Copilot studio has help and examples, along with templates for creating agents. Analytics are also available. Evaluation also possible, to test an agent. Remember to use AI to do the work where required. 

Discussion on who will see or have access to the agent as various people in the institution have access to various type of Copilot (basic/premium). Also with each type, there are functions that some have access to and others do not :(

A link from Moodle for a agent will work - if the learners have the right version of Copilot and use it within their Ara digital environment. Otherwise, Copilot Studio needs to be used. 

Another series later this year is seeking pre-registration - Future ready with Copilot.

Cowork by microsoft - alternatives

 Yesterday's microsoft presentation introduced Cowork. To have this available in my institution's Copilot premium, requires the turning on of access to Claude. I can see some advantages to having Cowork, as it automates tasks which are carried out, often across several apps, regularly.

An AI query (on Google) reveals that all the other main LLMs have equivalents. Claude itself has Claude Cowork. Open AI has 'operator' which costs US$200 a month. Google has Project Mariner. Manus and even Amazon (Nova Act) also have similar capabilities. 

Plus, there are a whole host of  enterprise tools - Eigent, OpenClaw,  Composio etc. O-mega offers an overview of 10 Claude Cowork alternatives 

Therefore, agentic AI is now mainstream and will have further reaching implications on work and education than Gen AI itself. 

Microsoft - Copilot chat for researchers

 Notes from a session with Microsoft on how researchers can use Copilot chat (M365 copilot (licenced) for researchers (aka Copilot premium).

The same microsoft representatives hosts and deliver the workshop.

Jennifer Ruan is the facilitator and Victor Kochetkov does the demonstration.

The session explores literature reviews, data analysis and research documentation.

Shared recent CSIRO's six month M354 Copilot trial with 7,400 Australian Public Service staff. In general, 1 hour saved each day with ability to reallocate 40% of time to higher level research activities (analysis, discovery and strategic thinking). Copilot can assist with literature reviews, grant applications, meeting and collaboration time, data analysis bottleneck, document drafting.

Demonstrated upload of document to interrogate it with the standard chat. In Auto, there is ability to select different LLMs (we seem to only have ChatGPTs but access to Sonnet, Claude etc. possible). Used notebook (only on premium) to store responses along with how to bring the sources /suggested references and sites into the notebook. Then how to share notebook. Audio summary is available (quick create button) similar to capability in Notebook LM. Study guide is available (but not on my version of  Copliot). The chat next to the notebook has the option of bringing in the Researcher agent (button not to the +). 

Then when through how to use Analyse agent to summarise trends in an uploaded Excel files. Then transfer of these into pages by using the edit in pages button (icons at bottom of response).

Copilot notebook is like Onenote (storing a variety of files). Copilot pages stores responses. Onenote files can be uploaded into notebook or chat to be used for analysis etc. by Copilot. 

Excel and powerpoint agents are also not available on my version of Copilot :( 

Previewed the 'cowork' agent which will be avaialble (for some probably!!) next month. This seems to automate tasks like organising your inbox, organising your week, prep for a meeting, research a company, find files and merge or bring files together in a certain way or for a certain purpose etc. basically pre-prompted tasks. Needs Claude to work so if this is not in your LLM list then need to work with IT to see if it will be available. 

Need to check with local organisational IT for access to LLMs other than ChatGPT and also for Excel/ Pp. However, for Excel and ppt, Copilot integrated into these and can be used when each is opened, just not connected to the Copilot premium chat.

A bit of a marketing at the beginning and usual whizz through all the various items. Will view the recording again to catch up on missed items!

Microsoft Copilot for educators webinar

 Notes taken from Copilot for educators webinar this afternoon. 

The session hosted by Microsoft  based in Australia. Beginning with acknowledgement of country and instructions for live captions and transcriptions.

Hosted by Jennifer Ruan (overview/facilitator) and Victor Kochetkov (demonstrator).

Started with running through the 'Teach' module with its various teaching tools. Tools are specific to sectors. For example, alignment to standard for school sectors. Went though 'create lesson plan', attaching files (allows specific standards to be added) and the drop down menu. UK English will be available soonat present, only American English. Once the lesson plan created, save to onedrive as a word doc.

Standards for vocational education in plans to be added for Australia. 

Demonstrated how to then draw on the lesson plan that was created to generate lesson notes/handouts using 'new chat'. Then showed how to edit the handout in Notes and then add it to a Notebook. 

Advised to use custom instructions (in settings) to provide specific instructions that cover the tone and specificity of AI responses. 

Then showed capabilities in 'Create'. So infographics can be created from the handout/lecture notes. Now stored in the 'Library'. Then did the same with powerpoint which should have organisational template available. Images etc. for ppt are from microsoft pool for copyright accreditation or AI generated. Institutional images can also be availed. 

Then used new chat to compare transcript of the lecture with the notes to identify gaps in delivery.

Next, demonstrated rubric creator in Teach module. Description only allowed, as no download/attach file capability yet. 

Then showed how the quiz creator works. Created a quiz into microsoft forms. Then used Analyst agent to do a analysis of the quiz responses (converted into excel spreadsheet). Then using the analysis, create another lesson plan which addresses the content that students did not achieve in the quiz. 

Then went back to 'create module' to create a video based on the ppt slides with a voice over.

Lastly, focused on notebooks - to collate items in one topic and how this forms the base for use in different ways. Especially for putting parameters on AI reference for responses, to create quizzes, flashcards etc.

Q & A ensured.

Many of the participants seemed to not have used copilot M365, so time spent to show how to access and where the Teach module is, how to  navigate through Copilot and use the various icons, enterprise/organisational data security etc.

Presentation recorded for further review. 

CoPilot with M365 (premium - with access to researcher and analyst agents

I have had a few weeks to get to know the premium subscriber version of Microsoft Copilot or Copilot M365. This version costs an extra NZ$500 + a year and not available to everyone within the institution.

Fellowmind, provides an overview along with pros and cons of the system. Microsoft Insider Track  provides 10 tips to improve productivity using Copilot - generally to use it as a personal assistant to plan one's day, review the week's work, brainstorm, etc.

This youtube provides a more generalised introduction along with examples. The video provides a  good overview of the key functions in CoPilot - Chat, generate images, use it like google and question the information and change the information into bar chart, Code, upload documents and summarise/ask questions based on the document (extract certain items e.g. financial information).  Covers:

- Create - posters, select a created poster as a template. 

- Using Copilot in Word, PowerPoint and Excel. 

- Use and leverage existing agent examples with researcher and analyst (includes data visualisation).

- Creating custom AI agent to configure your own agent - able to achieve all the above. 13 minutes in.

This youtube summarises the uses of CoPilot for teachers.  Covers:

- Using apps - outlook, word, excel etc. 

- Search bar, Chat and how to use this for supporting teaching work.

- Copilot prompt gallery / and prompt agent. Use /to refer to files or put up files to refer to. 

- Demonstrated how to convert a ppt into a blog post!

- Copilot has memory - which can be updated. Use settings / personalisation to adjust copilot memory. 

- Use pages that can be an interactive 'page' - i.e. onenote page with AI overlayed

- Agents - the included ones (researcher/analysts), prompt coach etc. and ability to create your own agents. 

- Create connects to usual microsoft apps -word etc. that allow creation of a range of resources. Plus using CoPliot in 'normal' word, excel or other apps. demonstration on how Copilot integrates into these.

Of note for all users, is the ability to create agents - see this youtube for creating agents for education based around CoPilot chat (published April 2025). Versions for educational institutions also include 'Teach' which has 'agents' to support the drafting of lesson plans, and the development of marking rubrics and flash cards to support learning or teaching. This video summarises these tools. 

For the paid premium version, the addition of the researcher and analyst agents are game changers. Future Savvy  provides an overview and good examples of prompts and user cases. The researcher agent responses can be verbose, so careful prompting is required to attain relevant results. The agent provides a 'chain of thought' which makes the ways in which the AI has come up with the response visible. This is useful to be able to see sources as depending on the context, the AI will draw from what is already in your OneDrive, other work files and also the web (if the option is selected). Asking researcher agent to only refer to peer reviewed sources is still hit and miss and for collation of in-house reports etc. researcher agent does save time as it collates the many sources of information, some of which have been forgotten! 

Overall, CoPilot has improved markedly this year and is a viable alternative to other AI platforms. The key as always is to use it circumspectly, not expect miracles, and to be targeted in how it is used. As CoPilot draws from the localised resources, authenticity is tighter. Putting time into learning how to use it well will pay dividends. 

Overview of using various AIs - Professor Ethan Mollick

With so many AI choices out there, it is difficult to select one which will effectively support the task at hand. Professor Ethan Mollick who was a very early adopter of Gen AI in the higher education sector, provides an overview of AI as they stand near the end of 2025. 

The blog compares Gemini, Claude and ChatGPT and their uses in an academic context. The various categories of chat, agent and wizard models are compared. Inputs of text, voice and images along with outcome in images, video, code and documents are also discussed and evaluated.

As always, there is not one Gen AI platform which will 'do it all' or do all well. Therefore, it is still important to match the objective / end goal, with the Gen AI. As Gen AI develops rapidly, it is also important to keep up with the play. For example, we have been encouraged to use CoPilot at my institute. To start with, CoPilot did not really compete well with the other mainstays - ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. However, CoPilot has improved markedly and is now integrated into the many Microsoft tools we use daily. The M365 version of CoPilot provides ability to create agents and also a range of agents which are useful for common everyday tasks. Paying extra includes the research and analyst agents. These two agents are extremely useful not only for research but for general tasks requiring inquiry, comparisons and deeper evaluation. Therefore, it is important to keep up with the play!!