Does Copilot increase productivity? Microsoft obviously claims it does, particularly to companies to which the publisher can sell subscriptions. But the National Advertising Division (NAD), the advertising watchdog of the BBB National Programs, wants changes in Microsoft's communication about the productive capabilities of its AI.
Microsoft reframes Copilot's productivity promises
General claims about productivity gains have been deemed problematic by the NAD. Microsoft claims that 67 to 75% of users feel more productive after several weeks of use. These figures, based on an internal study, reflect a subjective perception rather than an objectively measured gain. These statements will need to be revised, or at the very least accompanied by clarifications on the source of the survey.
Another sore point: the promises surrounding Business Chat, presented as a tool that works "seamlessly" between different applications. The NAD believes that this formulation can be misleading, because the messaging app requires more manual steps than Copilot to perform certain tasks. Microsoft is therefore urged to explain the functional differences between the tools.
The NAD felt that the widespread use of the name "Copilot" to refer to both the assistant integrated into Word, Excel, etc., and the Business Chat function, could mislead consumers. The lack of a clear distinction in Microsoft's communication leads people to believe that all versions of Copilot work identically, which is not the case.
It's not all doom and gloom, however. The organization acknowledged that Microsoft's claims about Copilot's ability to summarize, write, and reformulate content from files are generally true. Although the company has not systematically specified the technical limitations of the tool (file types, size, etc.), these would not significantly affect usage, according to the NAD.
The group indicated that it does not agree with all of the NAD's conclusions, but will still comply with the recommendations, particularly to improve the clarity of its advertising messages.
Read "AI PC" struggling, Copilot lacking users: Intel and Microsoft's AI struggles to attract consumers
Source: BBB
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