Microsoft has introduced two AI-driven tools, Researcher and Analyst, designed to enhance data analysis and business research on Microsoft 365 Copilot. These tools, which integrate deep reasoning, will be available in April under the company’s newly launched Frontier program.
Researcher is tailored for complex business research, while Analyst focuses on data analysis, helping enterprises derive meaningful insights from vast datasets.
Researcher simplifies multi-step research tasks by pulling from internal company data and external sources. It is designed to develop business strategies, conduct market analysis, and generate comprehensive reports.
Unlike conventional AI search tools, it integrates seamlessly with external data connectors like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Confluence, allowing businesses to analyze insights across multiple platforms without switching applications.
For organizations handling large datasets, Analyst mimics the approach of a data scientist, using OpenAI’s o3-mini reasoning model to refine its analysis iteratively. It can generate revenue forecasts, customer behavior trends, and demand predictions.
A key feature of Analyst is its ability to run Python scripts, enabling businesses to execute complex data queries while maintaining transparency in AI-driven processes, ensuring reliability and accuracy.
Microsoft has also expanded Copilot Studio to support the development of autonomous AI agents that can initiate workflows and manage business operations with minimal human intervention. These innovations, available through the Frontier program, reinforce Microsoft’s push to embed AI deeper into enterprise workflows.
While acknowledging AI’s limitations, Microsoft emphasizes that grounding AI outputs in enterprise data and allowing user oversight help mitigate risks, ensuring more reliable business research and analysis.