Microsoft's new Copilot focuses on Home, Code, and Autopilot as a 'work operating system'

Jacob Andreou, Microsoft's executive vice president for Copilot, said in an interview on Oct. 11, 2026 that the new Copilot is being built around three capabilities — Home, Code, and Autopilot — and positioned as a "work operating system" that lets users chat, build applications, and collaborate with agents.

Andreou also explained why Microsoft removed Copilot from some Windows apps. The company had picked entry points that brought traffic but relatively little value, and some users encountered Copilot unexpectedly while using Windows. "Products have to earn their right to exist," he said, adding that usage is fleeting without real value. After cutting entry points, Copilot saw more usage per user and more total users.

Reflecting on his own experience, Andreou said Copilot Tasks, launched in the consumer product earlier in 2026, initially boosted his usage — it ordered food and called Ubers when meetings ended — but the effect faded, and it was "like eating too much ice cream." For harder tasks such as financial planning or planning a vacation around work, the assistance remained shallow.

He also touched on how much autonomy agents should have, whether models still matter, and what AI-native work looks like. He added that the consumer AI market is hectic and that similar products will likely learn comparable lessons over time.