Copilot for Microsoft 365: Harness the Power of Generative AI in the Microsoft Apps You Use Every Day

Copilot in Microsoft 365 is more than a chat window: it can work alongside documents, spreadsheets, presentations, email, and collaboration tools. Jess Stratton’s book begins with the ideas behind generative AI, then takes readers into practical Copilot workflows across the Microsoft apps they may already use at work.

The approach is deliberately grounded in context. Before demonstrating tasks, Stratton explains prompting, responsible AI, access options, and the relationship between Copilot and organizational information. That foundation helps readers understand not only what to try, but why the quality and context of a request matter.

Start with the ideas behind Copilot

The early chapters introduce chat-based AI, large language models, Microsoft Copilot, and responsible AI considerations. They also discuss Copilot’s connection with Microsoft Graph and enterprise data, giving readers a framework for understanding how workplace information can shape an AI response.

Put Copilot to work across Microsoft 365

The application chapters move into hands-on examples in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. Topics include generating and refining text, summarizing documents, asking questions about existing content, exploring spreadsheet trends, creating presentations, and using Copilot in collaborative work. A separate chapter focuses on Microsoft Graph-grounded chat.

• Word: draft, transform, summarize, and question document content.
• Excel: explore data, identify trends and outliers, and work with charts and formulas.
• PowerPoint: create and organize presentations from prompts or existing files.
• Outlook and Teams: explore Copilot workflows in communication and collaboration.

A practical introduction for Microsoft 365 users

With an introduction to prompting and a progression from core concepts to individual apps, this book is suited to readers who want a guided starting point for generative AI at work, as well as managers and professionals exploring how Copilot fits into everyday tasks. Because it was published in 2024, its descriptions of access, licensing, and product capabilities reflect that period; Microsoft’s offerings may have changed since then.

For readers who want to understand the concepts before trying the workflows, Stratton’s book offers a clear route from AI basics to Copilot across the Microsoft 365 environment.