Copilot Pro's GPT Builder bites the Microsoft Graveyard dust as the company 'prioritizes' refinement of core experiences

Copilot Pro on Windows
(Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft is cutting support for GPT Builder in Copilot Pro.
  • Starting July 10, 2024, the company will remove all GPTs created by Microsoft and customers, including associated GPT data.
  • According to the company, this will allow it to prioritize core Copilot Pro experiences. 

In January, Microsoft unveiled a paid subscription for Copilot. Copilot Pro gives users priority access to the AI model and lets you leverage its capabilities directly from Microsoft Office apps like Word and PowerPoint. Like OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus subscription, Copilot Pro will cost you $20/month. 

Microsoft recently announced its plan to remove the ability to create GPTs using Copilot Pro starting July 10, 2024. Consequently, the company will remove all GPTs created by Microsoft and customers, including associated GPT data from July 10 through July 14, 2024. 

According to Microsoft:

"We are continuing to evaluate our strategy for consumer Copilot extensibility and are prioritizing core product experiences, while remaining committed to developer opportunities. To this end, we are shifting our focus on GPTs to Commercial and Enterprise scenarios and are stopping GPT efforts in consumer Copilot." 

Microsoft will delete custom Copilot GPTs during the highlighted period. Users won't have access to them after July 10, 2024. The company will also delete all the data collected by the Copilot GPT builder.

This news isn't entirely a surprise. In May, Microsoft announced it was slowing its Copilot AI advances to refine the tool's existing experiences based on user feedback. The company indicated that the refinement phase wouldn't affect Copilot's user experience.  As such, this might be part of Microsoft's plans to refine Copilot's user experience. 

Copilot Pro | $20 at Microsoft Store

Copilot Pro | $20 at Microsoft Store

Copilot Pro builds off the free version and has better performance and priority access during peak times, as well as more image creator boosts that let you create more AI generated images in a single day. Copilot Pro also enables AI features in Office apps, something the free version doesn't have.

Kevin Okemwa
Contributor

Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You'll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.

  • joshcsmith13
    It would be helpful to know what "GPT" even stands for. I know, it's all the rage and Chat GPT has been all over the headlines for over a year, but how many of us actually know what GPT stands for, especially in this context? What is a GPT builder in CoPilot?? I don't need an in-depth explanation, but at least a "reminder" what we're talking about. (Our company just went through a trial run with CoPilot, and I'm wondering if this announcement will have any impact.)
    Reply
  • fdruid
    "Microsoft Graveyard" is not a thing, don't try to turn guilt away from Google by using it for MS too. Completely different.
    Reply
  • poglad
    fdruid said:
    "Microsoft Graveyard" is not a thing, don't try to turn guilt away from Google by using it for MS too. Completely different.
    If it's not a thing then it should be. There are some Microsoft products that really need to be sent there.
    Reply
  • fdruid
    poglad said:
    If it's not a thing then it should be. There are some Microsoft products that really need to be sent there.
    Different companies, different thing. Google is the industry leader and has really no reason to shut most things down, especially things that work like Stadia.
    Microsoft just has bad luck and the stuff they shut down is because it's not successful. Or like in this case, they deprecate things nobody uses. Which as in this particular case, are very very niche features.
    Reply