Copilot in M365 vs. Microsoft Chat: The Difference

Copilot is an AI-powered chatbot (like ChatGPT and Google Gemini) designed to enhance productivity and efficiency. It can help you with tasks like typing an email, creating a PowerPoint presentation or providing data insights. The goal of Copilot is to make your job easier and more efficient.

While more than 2,200 HM team members are currently using Copilot Chat on a daily basis (via the HM web portal or the Copilot Chat feature within HM Microsoft 365 apps), pilot participants are trying something new — Copilot built directly into Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams. This version can pull information from across their other Microsoft 365 files — not just the one they’re working in — to help with tasks, like drafting messages, summarizing documents and creating content.

Copilot Chat (current option):

• Currently available through HM’s web portal, accessible via browser.
• If you’re on the latest version, you can also access Copilot Chat via the Copilot button in your M365 apps (Word, Excel, Teams, etc.). However, when using Copilot Chat from within the app, it only has context about the specific file you have opened. For example, if you start a “chat” within a Word document, it will only reference the information within that specific Word document. It doesn’t have access to any of your other documents or M365 content — only the file that’s being worked on.
• General-purpose AI assistant for:

• Answering questions.
• Drafting text.
• Summarizing content.
• Brainstorming ideas.
• Used for quick tasks, research and conversational AI

Copilot for Microsoft 365 (pilot):

• For pilot participants only, Copilot is directly embedded into their M365 apps, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, accessible via the Copilot button within each app.
• This version can pull existing data within these apps (not just the specific file they’re working on) and leverage it to help with tasks, such as:

• • Drafting a Word document that summarizes content from different saved documents.
  • Generating presentations in PowerPoint from your existing files.
  • Summarizing your email threads and drafting responses in Outlook (e.g., asking Copilot to summarize emails from a specific contact, over the last 30 days).
  • Creating meeting summaries and action items in Teams.
  • Analyzing Excel data.

• • Used for productivity workflows and tasks tied to your documents, spreadsheets and communications.

“For our pilot participants, Copilot has been seamlessly integrated into the Microsoft 365 applications that they use every day, and its positive effects have been immediate,” said Erica Richardson, system program director for Emergency Services and Copilot implementation project manager. “Participants are already sharing that Copilot is helping them eliminate routine tasks and giving them back time to focus on more meaningful work. Teams, Outlook and Word are quickly standing out as the most transformative apps in the pilot.”

Inside the Pilot: How It Works

Over 800 volunteers were selected to include a broad mix of HM departments and roles, ensuring diverse perspectives on use cases, what works well and what should be improved, including volunteers from:

• Clinical (physicians, APPs and nurses)
• Allied health professionals
• Administration
• Legal, Risk and Privacy
• HR, finance and supply chain
• IT and operations

Testing Focus Areas: Participants are asked to evaluate:

• Accuracy of responses within M365 documents.
• Ease of integrating Copilot into existing workflows.
• Usability and reliability across devices.
• Types of tasks where Copilot adds the most value. 

How Participants Are Using Copilot: Real World Use Cases 

Pilot volunteers have shared some of the creative ways they’re experimenting with Copilot.

“I’ve experienced Copilot’s impact firsthand,” Richardson added. “When using Copilot in Excel, what used to take me hours now takes minutes. It helps me analyze data faster, build sophisticated formulas with confidence, and skip the endless troubleshooting and online searches. It’s like having an expert sitting next to me, ready to help whenever I need it.”

Joseph Eaglin, IT Service Desk supervisor, shared his experience using Copilot to tackle a challenging task: “When our executive leadership requested key statistics and trends from an enormous data set, we knew that refining it manually would require significant time and effort. Instead, we turned to Copilot and asked it to summarize the report. The outcome was impressive — Copilot delivered results that were clean, well-organized and easy to review. From there, all we needed to do was cross-reference the data for accuracy.”

“And then came the fun part,” Eaglin continued. “We needed the top 10 IT trends driving phone calls and Copilot absolutely nailed it! The insights were spot on and ended up saving us about a full week’s worth of work — Copilot for the win!”

These real-world stories highlight the game-changing impact of Copilot — driving efficiency, unlocking rapid insights and empowering users to tackle challenges with unprecedented speed and confidence. As more people tap into Copilot’s innovative features, their excitement speaks volumes: we’re witnessing a pivotal shift in how technology transforms teamwork and simplifies even the most complex tasks.

Dr. Dale concluded, “HM’s integrated Copilot pilot marks an exciting milestone in reimagining how our teams work, communicate and collaborate. Over the next 90 days, we’ll gain valuable insights into how generative AI can reduce burden, enhance productivity and support teams in delivering exceptional care. Our goal is not just to deploy Copilot but to ensure it genuinely improves the employee experience. If early feedback is any indication, Copilot may soon become one of the most valuable tools in our digital toolkit.”