Microsoft Teams will no longer show a shortcut to the Copilot app in the Teams chat list. The change is expected to roll out in mid-to-late October and will affect the desktop and web versions of Teams.

Right now, there are two ways to navigate to Copilot within Teams and the two entry points lead to different experiences. Microsoft explained the need for the change through the Microsoft 365 Message Center (archived here):

"Today, users can access Copilot either from the Teams chat list or from the Copilot app in the Teams app bar. Beginning in October 2026, we will remove the Copilot entry point from the Teams chat list and direct users to access Copilot through the Copilot app. The Copilot app provides access to the full set of Copilot capabilities, while the chat list entry point provides a more limited experience."

The Copilot shortcut in the Teams chat list made Copilot more visible, but that entry point led to a limited experience. My guess is that some people only knew about the Teams chat list icon and ended up using a limited version of Copilot.

After October, there will be a single entry point for Copilot in Teams and those who use it will be presented with the full experience.

The mobile versions of Teams are unaffected by this change.

Copilot in flux

Copilot finds itself in a state of flux. Microsoft just announced a massive shift in its Copilot strategy. A major update to Copilot flips the approach Microsoft is taking. Rather than have Copilot sprinkled across Microsoft 365, Copilot will act as a unified workspace that connects documents, conversations, data, and tasks.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella went as far as to call the update a new operating system. Three new landing spots for Copilot will provide new ways to interact with the tool, such as Home serving as a landing spot. Changes then permeate throughout relevant Microsoft 365 apps.

The exact features and experiences you will see will depend on what type of Microsoft 365 subscription you have.

More details about Copilot are expected at Microsoft Ignite in November. The key takeaway for now is that while Microsoft is shifting where it uses the Copilot moniker and how people access Copilot, the AI tool is very much an integral part of the company's plans.

Based on the upcoming change to Teams, it's clear that Copilot will still be accessible through apps. But Microsoft may emphasize different experiences or streamline the entry points to the tool.

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"I think we are way too self-obsessed as an industry," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a recent interview about AI shared by Alex Heath of Sound Ventures. Nadella explained that AI leaders can get caught up in the wrong parts of AI and lose touch with what people need.

"I think the real world wants to know... that this is technology that they can use for their benefit, they can control, they can have an economic future." He also talked about how people need to see that data centers can lead to an economic surplus in an area and benefit the people surrounding it.

Nadella added that tech leaders should ask "what did we get wrong in the west," alluding to recent polling data that suggested AI is viewed more favorably in other parts of the world.

He emphasized the need to earn the trust of consumers and communities as well.

Nadella concluded the snippet with a warning against celebrating technology for its own sake: "Just any amount of celebrating technology for technology's sake is not working."

Windows Central take

Nadella may want to send an internal memo to Microsoft employees reiterating his comments from the interview. Microsoft's AI leadership has often been criticized for being out of touch with everyday users.

Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman has shared several controversial thoughts and opinions that drew criticism.

Suleyman has shared assurances that Microsoft will never build a sex robot and talked about how superintelligence should not replace the human species.

But Suleyman has also discussed the concept of AI knowing specific users "deeply" and people not needing money in certain areas because intelligence will be a new currency (while noting cash will still be required).

While these high-concept discussions make headlines, they do little for the average person asking why their operating system needs a chatbot.

Suleyman responded to those unimpressed with AI late last year:

"Jeez there so many cynics! It cracks me up when I hear people call AI underwhelming...The fact that people are unimpressed that we can have a fluent conversation with a super smart AI that can generate any image/video is mindblowing to me."

Suleyman is far from the only AI leader to draw criticism or be accused of being out of touch with everyday users. OpenAI's Sam Altman is often called out for similar comments. I'm curious to see how AI leaders across the industry respond to Nadella's comments.

Perhaps more important than existential threats or the creepiness of an AI knowing you intimately, many people simply fail to see a real-world use for AI. Early this year, Dell said that consumers don't care about AI PCs and that "AI probably confuses them more than it helps them."

Microsoft is quietly shifting away from the Copilot+ PC brand. Despite meeting the technical qualifications to be Copilot+ PCs, the new Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch will not be branded with that term.

The Copilot+ PC brand failed for many reasons, but one factor is that many users do not see the real-world benefit of AI.

Nadella's recent comments show that he is aware of the gap between AI's capabilities and AI's everyday usefulness.

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