Microsoft has unveiled an updated version of Copilot that merges chat capabilities, application development tools, and autonomous AI agents. This service will operate through three primary modes: Home, Code, and Autopilot.
One place, more ways to work.
— Microsoft Copilot (@MSFTCopilot) September 25, 2026
Chat through a problem, delegate a task, build an app, and automate workflows. The refreshed Microsoft Copilot app brings the ways you work with AI together in one place.
Because Copilot is the AI built for work.
Learn more:… https://t.co/ektKCIZnKF
“We are creating Copilot as a new operating system for work, integrating various models, devices, and tasks,” stated Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
The Home section will serve as the central hub for Copilot, combining Copilot Chat with Cowork. The Code mode will facilitate the creation of applications, trackers, dashboards, and automation processes. Meanwhile, Autopilot is designed for long-term tasks that the AI agent can execute independently in the background.
The Home and Code modes are set to roll out through the early access program called Frontier in the coming weeks, while Autopilot will enter closed beta testing later.
Code Mode
The Code mode leverages the foundational technologies of GitHub Copilot, allowing users to develop software directly from the Copilot interface.
Users can articulate their desired application or automation in natural language. The system will create an isolated environment for the task, generate the application, and enable further refinement through dialogue. Corporate products can be hosted within the organization's infrastructure.
Microsoft has already been advancing this approach in its other offerings. In September, the company introduced the ability to create applications via text descriptions in Copilot Cowork and Copilot Studio, enabling users to refine their projects through conversation and view both the results and source code.
Autopilot and Background Tasks
Autopilot stands out from standard chat by its ability to continue working without requiring a new prompt at each step. Microsoft previously described Autopilots at Build as continuously active autonomous agents with their own identities that can perform tasks in the background based on permissions granted by users and organizations.
Now, Autopilot will have its own identity, memory, computational environment, and workspace. This agent will operate asynchronously, monitor changes in corporate services, and initiate recurring processes.
For instance, it will be capable of tracking Teams channels, executing regular tasks, and autonomously returning to unfinished work. Users will not need to manually trigger the next step each time.
Earlier, Microsoft introduced Scout as the first of these agents, describing it as a constantly operating assistant that can consider user priorities and continue task execution without constant oversight. In the new Copilot framework, these functions will transition to Autopilot.
Payment Model Changes
Simultaneously, Microsoft is altering the monetization model for parts of Copilot. Cowork, Code, and Autopilot will adopt a usage-based billing system, where costs are determined by the amount of work completed rather than a fixed subscription fee.
This model is already implemented for Cowork, where users require a basic Microsoft 365 Copilot license, and agent tasks are billed in Copilot Credits. The cost depends on the model used, the volume of context, tool calls, and task duration. In a pay-as-you-go format, one Copilot Credit costs $0.01.
The corporation is also enhancing tools to monitor these expenditures. In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, administrators can track Copilot Credit usage across users, groups, and services, set limits, and identify major cost sources.
As a reminder, in June, OpenAI announced plans to transform ChatGPT into a super application. This new universal platform aims to integrate AI agents, programming tools, and third-party applications.
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