AI glossary for businesses
AI copilot / AI assistant
In short
An AI copilot, or AI assistant, is an AI feature built into software you already use, such as email, documents, spreadsheets or a CRM, that suggests, drafts and summarises while you stay in control. Examples include Microsoft 365 Copilot, Gemini in Google Workspace and Notion AI. The person reviews and decides; the assistant speeds up the work.
How an AI copilot works
The name comes from aviation. The pilot flies the plane and makes the decisions. The copilot handles checklists, reads instruments and suggests corrections. An AI copilot plays the same role inside your daily tools: it drafts the email, summarises the thread or proposes a formula, and you decide what to keep.
The main difference from a general chatbot is context. A copilot can see what you are working on, such as the open document, your inbox or your calendar, depending on its permissions. So you can ask "summarise what the client asked for in this thread" without copying anything.
Common examples:
Microsoft 365 Copilot in Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams. Strong if you already work in Microsoft 365. Caveat: it can surface any file a user has access to, so messy sharing settings become visible.
Gemini in Google Workspace in Gmail, Docs and Sheets. Convenient for Google-based teams. Caveat: features differ by plan, so check what your plan includes.
Notion AI for notes and internal wikis. Useful for summaries and drafts. Caveat: it only knows what lives in Notion.
In practice for a small business
An accounting and advisory firm with twelve staff spends a lot of time on client emails and meetings. With a copilot, a consultant can summarise a long email chain before a call, get a meeting recap from Teams with action items, and draft a follow-up email in Greek for review. The AI for meeting notes and CRM updates page shows a practical setup. Time savings vary a lot by role; measure them in a short pilot with a few users before buying licences for everyone.
Why it matters and what to watch out for
Permissions first: clean up file sharing before rollout, so the copilot does not show salary files to the whole team.
Data and GDPR: confirm how the vendor processes and stores your data under its business terms. Our GDPR guide to ChatGPT and Copilot at work covers the basics; check specifics with your DPO.
Licence cost: copilots are usually charged per user per month. Start with the roles that benefit most.
Training: the EU AI Act's AI literacy duty applies since 2 February 2025. Teach staff what the copilot can and cannot be trusted with.