Unlocking deep research and analytics, Copilot gets a major upgrade! Meet Researcher and Analyst—two AI agents designed for smarter work.
In a bold move to level up its AI game, Microsoft has announced new deep research tools for its Microsoft 365 Copilot! It has introduced two powerful AI agents, “Researcher” and “Analyst,” aimed squarely at redefining how professionals tackle complex tasks.
These new additions are part of Microsoft's plan to make Copilot not just a helpful assistant but a serious enterprise research and analytics powerhouse! This has put the tool in direct competition with OpenAI’s deep research tools, Google’s Gemini, and Elon Musk’s xAI Grok.
Meet Your New AI Teammates
Microsoft’s Researcher is designed for multi-step, in-depth research tasks. Leveraging OpenAI’s deep research model, it’s capable of executing high-level assignments like building go-to-market strategies, crafting detailed quarterly client reports, and handling nuanced information synthesis.
Analyst, on the other hand, is built on OpenAI’s o3-mini reasoning model and focuses on advanced data analysis. It can take raw, unstructured data and transform it into clear, actionable insights. This tool can help teams automate reports, uncover trends, and make faster data-driven decisions.
Together, they offer a dual advantage: one focused on comprehensive content generation and the other on analytical intelligence. This is something no other productivity platform currently delivers at this scale.
Launching in April 2025: Microsoft’s Frontier Program
To bring these features to users early, Microsoft is launching the “Frontier” program in April 2025. This exclusive initiative will give Microsoft 365 Copilot customers first access to both Researcher and Analyst, along with early experimental Copilot features yet to be released publicly.
This move puts Microsoft ahead in the productivity AI race as more tech giants pivot toward reasoning-driven AI models.
Part of a Bigger AI Play
These upgrades reinforce Microsoft’s broader strategy: integrating more capable tools into its Microsoft 365 ecosystem to serve real enterprise needs. As the workplace becomes increasingly data-heavy and fast-paced, tools like Researcher and Analyst are designed to help professionals work faster, think deeper, and deliver better results—all without leaving their workflow.
For organizations already using Microsoft 365 Copilot, this could be the most powerful productivity upgrade yet. For competitors? It’s a clear signal that Microsoft isn’t slowing down in its pursuit of innovation.
