Microsoft announced on Thursday (13) the merger of its Copilot apps aimed at consumers and the corporate environment, in addition to the discontinuation of a range of artificial intelligence features. The information was initially reported by GeekWire and is included in the company’s support documentation.
The decision reflects the recognition that personal and professional uses of AI often overlap and that the company’s previous strategy was too complex to position Copilot as a competitor to ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. The move follows a trend of consolidation in the sector, with Claude integrating Cowork into Chat, OpenAI incorporating the Operator feature into ChatGPT, and Google combining deep research and navigation in the Gemini app.
Discontinued features
According to Microsoft, users will lose access to Group Chats, AI-generated podcasts in Copilot, experimental Copilot Labs features, and Deep Research by August 18, 2026. For professional subscribers, Researcher will assume the role of Deep Research. The company will also retire the animated character Mico, a floating blob.
Microsoft warns that other features may temporarily disappear during the transition. Files generated by the standalone Copilot app will be migrated to OneDrive.
In July, The Information reported that Jacob Andreou, Microsoft’s executive vice president responsible for Copilot, wrote in an internal memo that the app needed to “earn the right to exist” in customers’ lives, which meant abandoning features that didn’t work.
