
Free Copilot tiers lose advanced features as Microsoft tightens monetization
Windows Central reports that Microsoft is shifting key Copilot capabilities, such as the Deep Research feature that generates detailed, cited reports, out of the free tier, with Deep Research scheduled for retirement on August 18, 2026, in favor of paid offerings.
Advise clients to formalize their AI tool stack—identify which tasks warrant enterprise‑licensed copilots, and redesign those workflows to take advantage of reliability, security, and governance that free tools cannot guarantee.
mediumShadow use of free AI tools for client or customer data will only grow riskier as feature gaps widen and governance diverges between free and enterprise products.
high