Microsoft Copilot Unpacked: Web-Grounded / Work-Grounded
WEB-GROUNDED in Microsoft Copilot
AI models like GPT-4o are trained on large datasets, but their knowledge only goes up to a certain point (for example, mid-2024). This means they cannot automatically know real-time events or the latest updates.
Web-grounded capability solves this limitation by connecting Copilot to the internet through Bing Search. When you ask a question that requires current information, Copilot:
- Searches the web using Bing to find the most relevant and up-to-date content
- Analyzes and filters that information for accuracy and trustworthiness
- Combines the fresh data with the model existing knowledge
- Generates a response that is both smart and current
Why It Matters
Without web grounding, Copilot would only rely on static training data. With this feature, you get answers that reflect todays reality, such as:
- Latest product updates
- Current market trends
- Breaking news or recent events
WORK-GROUNDED in Microsoft Copilot
While web grounding brings in public information, work grounding focuses on your organizations internal data. Copilot uses Microsoft Graph to securely access:
- Emails
- Files
- Chats
- Meetings
- Other enterprise resources
This allows Copilot to:
- Understand your work context (projects, documents, conversations)
- Combine internal data with model knowledge for personalized answers
- Provide relevant, secure, and compliant responses tailored to your organization
Why It Matters
Work grounding ensures Copilot is not just smart, but context-aware. Examples:
- Summarizing your recent meetings
- Drafting emails based on your companys tone and policies
- Answering questions using internal documents and resources
Summary
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Web-Grounded | Brings in current public knowledge from the internet |
| Work-Grounded | Uses your organizations data for personalized, secure answers |
Together, these capabilities make Microsoft Copilot powerful, accurate, and context-aware.