Microsoft Enhances Copilot with Autopilot Feature and Usage-Based Billing

Microsoft has launched a private preview of its Autopilot feature for Copilot as of late September 2026. This new agent utilizes Microsoft IQ to adapt to organizational operations, incorporating permissions, auditing, and governance, as stated by Jared Spataro, Head of AI Marketing at Microsoft. The company also announced a shift to usage-based billing, moving away from flat-rate pricing, which will affect its 100 million consumer subscribers across the Microsoft ecosystem. The 'Today' feature is set to enter private preview in October 2026, with a rollout for Home and Code expected in the upcoming weeks. Additionally, later this year, Code will be available for Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro subscribers. IT administrators will have the capability to control which model families, including OpenAI's Astra and Anthropic's Fable, are accessible to specific user groups. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized that the agent market is significantly larger than the cloud market, indicating a strategic pivot for the company.