Microsoft removes ads from Copilot, adds better data protection for businesses & schools, too

Microsoft has arrived with a lot of new announcements at the recent Copilot-centered “Wave 2” event. A lot of new AI smarts are being introduced, like the “prioritize my inbox” feature on Outlook, the “narrative builder” on PowerPoint, new OneDrive capabilities, Copilot Pages, and more.

But now, in a separate announcement, the Redmond tech giant reassures that it’s removing ads from Copilot. The company says, “Both the in-app and browser experiences for Copilot will shift to an ad-free user interface to minimize disruptions.”

Microsoft also said that it’s adding new security features for Copilot in Windows 11, especially for businesses and schools: an enterprise data protection (EDP) for Entra account users, live for Copilot in Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise editions.

“This is a significant step in strengthening data protection for Microsoft Copilot as the enhanced security, privacy, and compliance controls and commitments available for Microsoft 365 Copilot will now extend to Microsoft Copilot prompts and responses,” the Redmond company says.

Unlike general data protection, enterprise data protection gives you granular access controls, advanced encryption, data loss prevention measures, and other perks that cater to the specific needs of enterprises.

Besides, Copilot will also be integrated into the Microsoft 365 app as the main entry point, simplifying access and aligning with other productivity tools. The standalone Copilot app will still be available for personal accounts, but Entra users will be directed to the browser version for enhanced security.

These changes will go live on September 24, starting with the optional non-security preview release for managed PCs.

During the Wave 2 live stream, Microsoft also announced that it’s bringing the latest AI models, including OpenAI’s new reasoning-friendly o1 model that’s currently live for ChatGPT paid users with its mini version coming to free users soon.