AI copilot An assistant built into the app you are already using.
Short answer. An AI copilot is an AI assistant built into an application you already use, such as a code editor, email or a document editor. It suggests, drafts and answers while you stay in charge. GitHub describes the assistive mode of its Copilot as responding while you work, with you reviewing and applying each suggestion, and an agentic mode in which you describe a goal and it works through several steps for your review. Microsoft describes Copilot Chat as combining large language models, enterprise protections and grounding in web data and, in specific contexts, organisational data. Copilot is also a product name, so check which product a vendor means.
01
Copilot, chatbot or agent
The labels overlap, and vendors use them loosely. GitHub’s own documentation shows one product spanning two modes: assistive features that respond while you work, and agentic ones that take a goal and prepare tasks for your review.
Kind
How it works with you
Example
Chatbot
You open a separate window and ask a question
A general chat page
Copilot
Sits inside the app, sees what you are working on and proposes
Suggests code as you type; summarises a mail thread you have open
Agent
Takes a goal and works through the steps with tools
Plans a change, edits files and opens a pull request for review
02
What data a copilot can see
A copilot sees what its host application and your account allow. GitHub says Copilot works within the development workflow you already use: your code and its history, the issues and pull requests you use to track work, and the automations you run in your repository.
Microsoft’s documentation, as of October 2026, describes tiers that range from web data only to web data plus work data through Microsoft Graph. It says Copilot Chat (Basic) has limited use of organisational content, which you must provide explicitly with your prompt. For agents built in Copilot Studio, a knowledge source can use the agent user’s authentication, so the agent surfaces only content that specific user can access.
03
Questions to ask before a rollout
Where is each prompt processed, and in which country?
Which of our files and mailboxes can it read, and does it respect each person’s existing permissions?
Is there a record of who asked what, and can an administrator export it?
Can features be switched off for one team?
What does it cost per user per month, and what happens to the bill as staff are added?
What happens to saved prompts, uploaded files and chat history when someone leaves?
How do staff report a wrong answer, and who reviews the report?
04
Copilot or private AI
A copilot lives inside a vendor’s application and works on that vendor’s terms. A private AI appliance is a separate system that the office owns, with its own models and apps. ANVE is a private AI appliance for offices, with makers for meeting minutes, documents, presentations, UI/UX design, research papers, private GPTs and podcasts. Its outputs export to Microsoft Office, Google Slides and Docs, and Zoho Show and Writer. See the comparison with Microsoft Copilot for a side-by-side.
05
Questions people ask
Is Copilot a Microsoft product?
There are several. Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot are products. Written in lower case, an AI copilot is also used as a general term for an assistant built into an app.
Can a copilot read my whole mailbox?
Only if the product is licensed and configured to, and normally only content your account can already open. Microsoft’s documentation says Copilot Chat (Basic) uses organisational content only when you provide it with the prompt. Check the licence tier your staff actually have.
Do copilots need the internet?
Cloud copilots do. Microsoft’s admin guidance tells administrators to allow its Copilot endpoints through proxies and firewalls, which shows the service runs over the network. A private AI appliance runs its models on your own network.
Are copilots agents?
Some are becoming agents. GitHub’s Copilot has an agentic mode in which you describe a goal and it works through several steps. Review and approval stay with you.
06
What is not real yet
No sealed ANVE unit exists; every image of the appliance on this site is a labelled render. The software runs today on a development machine. No customers yet, no certifications, no delivery date, and the final price is not announced.
Reservations are ₹999 in India or US$12 elsewhere, refundable in full until you confirm an order in writing (terms). Offices that cannot use cloud AI can apply to be one of ten design partners.
