Microsoft Removes Limits on Copilot’s Advanced Features
Microsoft has eliminated usage restrictions for its Copilot Voice and Think Deeper features, offering free users access to capabilities previously limited to paid subscribers. The features are powered by OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model, the same technology underpinning ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode and Deep Research.
Microsoft’s move follows user feedback indicating that existing limits hindered engagement with the AI chatbot. The company’s blog post confirmed this shift, which allows users to conduct extended conversations with Copilot.
Copilot Features Now Available to All Users
Copilot Voice allows for natural, conversational interactions with the AI, similar to speaking with another person. Users can interrupt and pose follow-up questions during the AI’s responses, a functionality comparable to Gemini Live.
Think Deeper, another component of Copilot, functions similarly to ChatGPT’s Deep Research feature, which OpenAI currently reserves for paying customers. Microsoft suggests that this feature is valuable for tackling complex subjects such as “making a big purchase, assessing the future value of a home renovation or planning a career move.” Users should be aware that processing by Think Deeper often takes longer, so some delay in responses is expected.
While these features aren’t new, Microsoft had previously limited them to users of the paid Copilot Pro service. The company’s decision to extend these features to the free tier may have been influenced by competition from AI chatbots like China’s DeepSeek, which offers comparable functionalities.
This change gives users greater accessibility to Microsoft’s AI tools. It remains to be seen how this move will affect the overall Copilot user experience and the competitive landscape of AI chatbots.
