Microsoft’s Copilot is now on Telegram | TechCrunch

Microsoft’s Copilot, a generative AI-powered tool that can generate text as well as answer specific questions, is now available as an in-app chatbot on Telegram, the instant messaging app. 

Currently in beta, Copilot for Telegram allows you to talk with the AI chatbot as if you’re having a normal, one-on-one conversation with a friend. It can also answer a wide range of questions, from general knowledge queries like “What movie should I watch?” to questions such as “What baseball game is on right now?”

The bot can be accessed by searching its username, @CopilotOfficialBot. It’s free for Telegram users and available on both mobile devices and desktop. One caveat is that it requires your phone number. 

Microsoft has introduced Copilot into several of its products, including Microsoft 365 and Teams, along with AI-first hardware, Copilot+ PCs. Copilot’s expansion to third-party services like Telegram is notable and could signify that Microsoft wants its AI chatbot to live in other social apps.

Other companies integrating AI chatbots into their messaging platforms include Meta, which recently confirmed that it’s testing Meta AI across Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. Google’s Gemini rivals Copilot by letting you leverage the generative AI within Google Messages on Android devices. Meanwhile, Snapchat uses ChatGPT to power its AI chatbot that can respond to Snaps.