Microsoft to force install the Microsoft 365 Copilot app in October (www.bleepingcomputer.com)

Microsoft announced it will automatically install the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on Windows devices that already have Microsoft 365 desktop clients, starting in early October 2025 with rollout completing by mid-November (EEA devices excluded). The app — a centralized entry point that surfaces Copilot experiences and AI-powered features across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Notebooks and integrated AI agents — will be added to the Start menu and enabled by default. IT admins can opt out via the Apps Admin Center, and Microsoft recommends informing helpdesk teams and users ahead of deployment to reduce support friction. Related moves include integrating Copilot agents into the Edge sidebar (late Sept 2025) and a new admin setting to pin Copilot to the Windows taskbar. For the AI/ML community this widens the deployment footprint for LLM-driven productivity features, accelerating real-world usage and telemetry that can inform model improvements, UX patterns, and enterprise workflows. It also raises governance, privacy, and data-security considerations: organizations must assess data handling, consent, and policy configurations since many users will gain default access to AI features. The admin opt-out and EEA exclusion indicate Microsoft’s attempt to balance discoverability with regulatory and enterprise controls, but IT teams should prepare communication, training and security reviews to manage support load and mitigate risk.