The AI sphere was dull and boring, until generative AI took the market by storm.
When OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, it quickly awed and wowed the audience. Due to the high demand, it sent rivals into frenzy. But none is probably as aggressive as Microsoft.
The tech giant quickly inked a deal with OpenAI, securing its place as its main backer.
Then it uses that privilege to integrate OpenAI's various generative AI technologies to its various products.
From Bing AI to then named Copilot, the AI even made its way to its core product: Windows.
After seemingly all its products have been given a sort of generative AI touch, it's time to expand outwards.
This time, Microsoft starts putting Copilot to third-party messaging apps, starting with Telegram.
Read: Microsoft Rebrands Its Bing Chat To Copilot, And Creates A Dedicated App For It
Users of Microsoft product lately, must've seen a Copilot button appear somewhere within it.
Ever since the start of 2024, Microsoft has been going full offensive, with adding Copilot functionality into as many of its apps as possible.
For a while, it seemed that Microsoft had run out of apps to add Copilot to, but no, because Copilot is making its way to Telegram, meaning that Microsoft is planning to expand its AI beyond its own ecosystem.
Initially introduced in beta, Copilot on Telegram comes in the form of a chatbot.
By accessing @CopilotOfficialBot on the Telegram app on both desktop and mobile, users can use some of its built-in commands, such as /idea for more information on what to ask it and /restart to reset the conversation.
The chatbot is available for free, which is a good thing, and that it uses the same LLM as the Copilot on the web or Windows, or others.
At first, the chatbot cannot generate any AI images, and has a limit of 30 messages a day.
Also, at least initially, it doesn’t appear to be using GPT-4o.
It's also not possible to switch between the three modes: Creative, Balanced and Precise.
It's worth noting that the chatbot cannot be used in the European Union.
According to reports, using the bot will prompt it to ask users for their phone number, which Microsoft states it won't store.
"To ensure a secure experience, we require a quick one-time verification of your mobile number linked with your Telegram account. We don’t store your number," Microsoft noted in a message that pops up in Telegram when users start the bot.
But if it detects a phone number from European Union, it will automatically block the user.
The Telegram Copilot bot is part of Microsoft’s project, called the "copilot-for-social," which aims to bring generative AI to social apps.
Back in 2023, the search engine You, made