The British government tried Microsoft 365 Copilot: lots of rave reviews and no improvement in efficiency or time savings

Results of use AI 365 Copilot by Microsoft The UK government has demonstrated, that it is not about increasing productivity.

The UK Department of Business and Trade conducted a trial of Microsoft 365 Copilot from October 2024 to March 2025. The department offered 1,000 licenses over three months, of which 70% were given to volunteers, and another 30% were randomly selected.

A large number of British government officials expressed satisfaction with the use of an AI-based productivity tool, that was said to perform a wide range of tasks. The AI tasks included, in particular, preparing a description of positions to work with corporate data. However, it turned out, that there are certain nuances. 

According to with estimates The Register notes, that 72% of those, who used Copilot, expressed satisfaction with the performance of this AI model. It emphasizes, that Copilot was particularly good at writing tasks. However administrative skills of AI from Microsoft turned out to be much worse. 

In particular, Copilot was not good at scheduling meetings and tasks, such as creating PowerPoint presentations. Many companies are now hoping, that AI will be able to reduce the time spent on certain routine tasks and increase productivity, which will save businesses money. However, the estimates Copilot has shown, that its use increases productivity almost without increasing the time it takes to complete tasks. 

However, according to employees, who participated in the In the M365 Copilot test, they were able to save time on personal tasks. This means that AI can help employees save time on their tasks, but it’s up to the employee using AI to determine, how effectively they can improve their productivity. 

In addition, many employees found it difficult to assess their performance Copilot, as it hallucinated throughout the entire test period. The test covered a variety of use cases, from writing emails to checking code.

Participants were asked to fill out a diary, in which they had to record every task, performed with the help of AI Copilot, as well as their own attitude towards it based on the test results The test showed, that many users used Copilot only once a week, while others used the AI tool once a day. 

With this in mind, analysts The Register concluded, that since the use of Copilot was irregular, the money spent on it did not demonstrate any savings. Overall, the agency concluded that AI can save time and can be useful for certain groups of people performing specific tasks. However, there are limitations to the use of AI in the workplace. Big tech companies are constantly pushing their AI tools on businesses, but this assessment seems to prove, that AI capabilities are not likely to revolutionize office work. 

Source: The Register; Cybernews.com