Like many MVP’s I’m in the process of preparing to go to MVP Summit being held at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond near Seattle in week commencing Monday 11th March 2024.
Although everything shared with us at this event will be under NDA and that includes the agenda I do expect there will be a lot of talk about Microsoft Copilot in all its various forms and guises.
As a trainer one of the things I’m finding organisations really need help with when adopting AI driven tools is working where these tools offer maximum impact in their current business practises. This means I’m trying to come up with lots of scenarios to include in my training courses which showcase potential uses. One of those is preparing for a business trip.
Personally, I’ve recently being experimenting with longer prompts instead of asking multiple questions and comparing using Microsoft Copilot for web (formerly Bing Chat) vs using Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365.
To combine these 3 together I decided to try and use these tools to help me prepare for my upcoming trip. I already have flights, hotels etc booked but it’s about the background research into the area at this point.
For my experiment I decided to use the same prompt in 3 different ways, all signed in with the same Microsoft 365 work account:
- Notebook via https://copilot.microsoft.com/ using creative conversation style
- Creative conversation style in Copilot for web via https://copilot.microsoft.com/
- Inside Microsoft Word using the create prompt which opens when creating a new document
The full article, including the Copilot outputs in full, are available to download.
Observations
The information contained in all 3 were very similar. As expected, the Copilot in Microsoft Word produced the longest document, but struggled to include maps and images.
I was surprised that the Notebook option gave the shortest output and was actually the least useful. I did use this tool first to draft and refine the prompt until I was happy with it and then went on to use that prompt in the other tests and for that it was perfect.
Copilot for web halted part way through composing the report twice, but was able to continue when prompted. Though it did appear that the latter sections were less detailed. As a result I decided to add a 4th test, using Copilot for web but asking for the information in a multi prompt conversation.
Conclusion
On balance for this kind of research-based task I prefer Copilot for web chat functionality and a multiple shorter prompts question conversation which can then be manually curated into a report. This not only seemed to give the best information in each section, but also allows for the user to verify the information and adapt the layout to include more visuals which will result in an overall better output.
I did end up having a debate with Copilot about the location of Side Hustle, so if you are heading there during MVP Summit, please do check their website at https://sidehustletaps.com/ and not try to get to get to the one in London!
The answer, Human + AI tool working together, in an active conversation and playing to their strengths gives the best final result than either one alone.
And one more thing, I would not be a very good demonstrator of Copilot, if I didn’t get it to create a poem!
They come from different lands and cultures
They share a passion for technology and learning
They are the MVPs, the most valuable professionals
They are heading to the MVP Summit, a yearly gathering
They will meet their peers and mentors
They will exchange their insights and ideas
They will learn from the experts and leaders
They will explore the latest trends and features
They will celebrate their achievements and contributions
They will inspire and empower each other
They will strengthen their connections and collaborations
They will make a difference in the world together
The Prompt:
I’m planning a business trip to go to MVP Summit at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond near Seattle. The purpose of the trip is to learn about new products from the company and network with Microsoft staff and other MVPs. Please prepare a report to help me prepare for the trip and include a section on the benefits to help me persuade my manager the trip is worthwhile. I also need the report to include: background information on Microsoft and the industry it operates in including main competitors
A brief overview of the location
general information about the business scene in Seattle and the surrounding area
practical information on hotels near Microsoft Headquarters and travel to/from Seattle airport
Information about not to be missed sights in the area for any free time
Dining recommendations in the area around Microsoft Campus and in downtown Seattle, as well as places to food shop around Microsoft Campus.
Information on a bar called Side Hustle in the area, including its location & distance from Microsoft Campus.
Please format the report in full paragraphs using a formal professional tone and include a table of reference sources plus maps and images to illustrate the report.
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