Microsoft has announced the addition of a “deep research” AI-powered tool within Microsoft 365 Copilot, an AI chatbot application. This introduction is part of a trend where several deep research agents, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and xAI’s Grok, have been launched recently. These agents are driven by reasoning AI models capable of problem-solving and self-verification, essential for conducting thorough research on various topics.
In Microsoft’s lineup, these offerings are named Researcher and Analyst. The Researcher integrates OpenAI’s deep research model, which is the foundation of OpenAI’s own ChatGPT deep research tool, with “advanced orchestration” and “deep search capabilities.” According to Microsoft, Researcher can perform tasks like developing market strategies and creating quarterly client reports.
The Analyst tool is built on OpenAI’s o3-mini reasoning model and is optimized for advanced data analysis. Microsoft describes Analyst as an iterative problem solver that refines its responses to deliver detailed answers. Furthermore, Analyst can execute complex data queries using Python and provide transparency about its processes.
A distinctive feature of Microsoft’s deep research tools is their ability to access both work-related data and the internet. For instance, Researcher can connect with external data sources and utilize information from AI “agents,” tools, and applications like Confluence, ServiceNow, and Salesforce.
However, there is a significant challenge in ensuring tools like Researcher and Analyst do not produce incorrect information or “hallucinate.” Models such as o3-mini and deep research are not flawless and can occasionally misquote sources, draw inaccurate conclusions, or rely on unreliable public websites for information.
To facilitate access to Researcher and Analyst, Microsoft is launching a Frontier program. This initiative allows Microsoft 365 Copilot customers to access these tools, with those participating in the Frontier program being the first to receive experimental Copilot features, starting from April.