Microsoft has announced the removal of GPT Builder and Custom GPTs from its Copilot Pro subscription. This decision, effective from July 10, raises questions about the future value of the $20 subscription for consumers who previously enjoyed the ability to create personalised Copilot GPTs using various documents, sources, and custom instructions.
Copilot Pro, a premium Microsoft AI-powred assistant offering, includes features such as GPT Builder and enhanced integration across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. The GPT Builder allows users to tailor their Copilot experience, making it more advanced and personalised than the default functionalities.
Microsoft confirmed the news by sending out emails to customers stating, “We’re writing to let you know about an important upcoming change to your Copilot Pro subscription. We are committed to improving your Copilot Pro subscription and regularly review how our subscribers use features within Microsoft products. We are removing Copilot GPT Builder from Copilot Pro beginning on July 10, 2024.”
The company has urged users to save any custom instructions before July 10 to avoid losing their work. To support this transition, the company has published a document summarising the upcoming changes, including the discontinuation of GPTs and then the continuation of plugins, hinting at new ways to extend the AI’s capabilities in the future.
Interestingly, Windows Latest reports that while GPT Builder will no longer be available to consumers, it will remain accessible to commercial and enterprise customers.
Microsoft should reduce the subscription cost since they removed a service. In response to The Register’s inquiry, a Microsoft spokesperson stated that the subscription cost would not change.
“There are currently no plans to lower the cost of Copilot Pro. However, Copilot Pro remains of great value by offering customers priority access to top-of-the-line models for accelerated performance, faster AI image creation with Designer, and the ability to access Copilot in the free Microsoft 365 web apps,” replied Microsoft.
This dual approach suggests that Microsoft may be refocusing its efforts on the business sector, possibly due to lower-than-expected consumer engagement with Copilot GPTs or to reduce costs associated with compute-intensive features.
Despite this shift, Copilot Pro subscribers will still benefit from certain advantages, such as access to advanced AI models during peak hours and the capability to generate images. For those dissatisfied with upcoming changes, Microsoft has provided instructions for cancelling the subscription by logging into their Microsoft account and turning off recurring billing.
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