Microsoft Launches Microsoft 365 Copilot Plugins

Microsoft, in partnership with OpenAI, is launching an extensibility for Microsoft 365 Copilot with plugins. These plugins will empower developers to integrate their apps and services into Microsoft 365 Copilot, allowing them to reach millions of users in their everyday work environments. This integration will be facilitated by three types of plugins: ChatGPT plugins, Teams message extensions, and Power Platform connectors. 

The announcement was made by Rajesh Jha, the executive Vice President of Experiences and Devices at Microsoft during their annual conference for Developers - Build.  

Earlier in March they announced Microsoft 365 Copilot which brings the power of next-generation AI to Microsoft 365 products like Teams, Outlook etc. The plugin integration seeks to combat the growing volume of digital debt that impedes productivity and innovation. These plugins also offer a significant opportunity for developers to leverage AI to enhance user experience and work efficiency.

Figure 3: Simulated scenario of a user invoking plugins with Microsoft 365 Copilot Accelerating success for every developer 

How does it work?

Developers will be able to integrate their apps and services into Microsoft 365 Copilot with plugins. The plugins will interact with APIs from other software and services, enabling them to retrieve real-time information, incorporate company and business data, and perform new types of computations. 

Developers with existing Teams message extensions will not have to write new code to extend Microsoft 365 Copilot, and the plugin creation experience will be streamlined through the Teams Toolkit, which is available in private preview. The user experience can be customised with adaptive cards when the plugin is invoked. The integration will be secured and governed by the Microsoft Graph, which will also serve as a source for user prompts and responses.