Microsoft has announced Copilot Cowork, a cloud-based AI agent that can complete complex tasks across Microsoft 365 applications on behalf of users. Carl Franzen reports for VentureBeat that the tool is built using technology from Anthropic, the AI company behind the competing Claude Cowork product.
Copilot Cowork forms the centerpiece of Microsoft’s “Wave 3” update to Microsoft 365 Copilot. Users describe a task, and the system automatically breaks it into a structured plan, then executes it across apps including Outlook, Teams, Excel, and PowerPoint. Multiple tasks can run simultaneously in the background.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella described the product as turning requests into plans that execute “across your apps and files, grounded in your work data and operating within M365’s security and governance boundaries.”
The announcement reflects Microsoft’s deepening relationship with Anthropic, which includes a $30 billion Azure compute deal from November 2025. Anthropic’s Claude models are now also available directly in Copilot Chat alongside OpenAI models.
Copilot Cowork is currently in a limited Research Preview. Broader access will come through Microsoft’s Frontier program in late March 2026. It will require a Microsoft 365 Copilot license at $30 per user per month.
