Recently, Microsoft announced the removal of all restrictions on the use of OpenAI's o1 inference model for its Copilot users. From today onwards, all users can access this model and Copilot's voice features without any limitations. Previously, the "Think Deeper" feature and voice capabilities in Copilot were restricted for free users, but these limitations have now been lifted, allowing users to engage in longer conversations with the AI assistant.

The Copilot team at Microsoft stated that they are working towards making advanced features accessible to as many people as possible. This initiative starts with the removal of restrictions on voice and Think Deeper functionalities. However, users should be aware that delays or interruptions may occur during peak demand periods or if security concerns, abuse, or violations of Copilot terms are detected.

This move to provide unrestricted access to Copilot's voice and Think Deeper features comes just one month after Microsoft integrated Office AI capabilities into Microsoft 365 and two years since the initial launch of Copilot within the Bing search engine.

Despite this expansion of free access, Microsoft continues to offer a $20 per month Copilot Pro subscription service. This premium option provides priority access to the latest models during high-demand times, early access to experimental AI features (more details will be announced soon), and additional usage of Copilot in specific Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.