Yes, Bing Chat Enterprise and Microsoft 365 Copilot are fundamentally different tools designed for distinct purposes, though they both leverage similar underlying large language models (LLMs). The key difference lies in the data they can access and their level of integration.

Here is a breakdown of the key differences:

1. Data Access and Grounding
Bing Chat Enterprise (now called Microsoft Copilot): This tool is grounded in publicly available data from the web via the Bing search index. It is designed to provide secure, AI-powered chat for work, but it does not access your company's private data. Your conversations are protected, not saved, and not used to train the models.


Microsoft 365 Copilot: This is a much more powerful and integrated tool. It combines the power of LLMs with your organization's private data, which is stored in the Microsoft Graph (e.g., your emails, calendar, chats, documents, and meetings). It can understand the context of your work and provide personalized, data-driven assistance.



2. Integration and Functionality
Bing Chat Enterprise (Microsoft Copilot): This tool is designed to enhance the search experience and provide general-purpose AI chat. It is integrated into the Bing search engine and can also be accessed through the Microsoft Edge sidebar. It's useful for tasks like summarizing public web pages, brainstorming, or getting quick answers to questions.



Microsoft 365 Copilot: This tool is seamlessly embedded within your Microsoft 365 applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, etc.). It acts as a productivity assistant that can perform tasks directly within these applications, such as:

Summarizing a long email thread in Outlook.

Drafting a document in Word based on a separate PowerPoint presentation.

Generating a presentation from a text prompt in PowerPoint.

Summarizing a Teams meeting you were unable to attend.

3. Licensing and Cost
Bing Chat Enterprise (Microsoft Copilot): It is often included at no additional cost with certain Microsoft 365 business subscriptions (e.g., E3, E5, Business Standard, and Business Premium). It can also be purchased as a standalone offering.

Microsoft 365 Copilot: This is a premium, add-on license with a separate per-user, per-month cost. It is designed for businesses that need a deeply integrated AI assistant to boost productivity across their entire Microsoft 365 environment.