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MicrosoftResearch & science

Copilot for research & science

Microsoft's AI layer that combines GPT and Claude models with your own organisational data and the Microsoft 365 apps.

Not specifically recommended

Copilot isn't on our list for research & science. Useful for general work, but first look at the options we recommend for research & science.

GDPR profileOur summary of what the provider itself publishes about your data: EU hosting possible, no training on your data for business use, and self-hosting available. Caution applies to a model with a documented problem, such as an investigation by a regulator. How we measure
GDPR: Caution
QualityQuality from blind duels on LMArena: users choose between two anonymous answers. A difference of about 20 points is noticeable, a few points is noise. How we measure
1485Elo, independent
Editorial scoreOur own assessment on 10 of suitability for professional work, price and privacy. This is a judgement, not a measurement; that is why it always sits alongside the Elo. How we measure
8,3
Entry price
from €10 / month
Full GDPR check

What Copilot does in research & science

Core tasks in research & science
  • Literature search and exploration with semantic search and citation networks
  • Screening titles, abstracts and full texts for systematic reviews
  • Extracting and summarising data and study characteristics from papers
  • Writing and editing manuscripts, abstracts and research proposals
Where Copilot is strong
  • Deep Microsoft 365 integration
  • Grounding on your own data via Microsoft Graph
  • Strong enterprise governance and compliance
  • Choice between GPT and Claude models

Copilot has a concrete GDPR point to watch. The Claude models within Copilot officially fall outside the EU Data Boundary. If you want strictly EU-only processing, exclude the Claude models in the admin centre. Weigh this heavily before deploying it in research & academia.

Confidentiality and GDPR

GDPR: Caution

Never use AI as a source: every reference must be traceable to the original article, as fabricated or wrongly attributed citations are the most common error. Unpublished data, research proposals and peer-review manuscripts are confidential or commercially sensitive, so do not enter them into a consumer account without a data processing agreement, and check whether the provider stores your input or uses it for training (publishers usually prohibit this explicitly for peer review). If you work with personal data from research participants, the GDPR and your own ethics review apply: running models locally or using an EU-hosted tool with data minimisation is then the safe route. Finally, document your search strategy and your AI use: journals and funders increasingly ask for this, and a review must remain reproducible.

Microsoft 365 Copilot (business) falls under the EU Data Boundary and does not train on tenant data. Consumer Copilot does train by default, with an opt-out.

Rule of thumb Use the business variant with a data processing agreement, and keep a human in the loop for decisions that matter.
Caution the Claude models within Copilot officially fall outside the EU Data Boundary. If you want strictly EU-only processing, exclude the Claude models in the admin panel.

Prices

Microsoft 365 Personal/Familyfrom €10 / monthPersonal €10/month, Family €13/month, Premium €22/month (higher Copilot limits); Copilot Pro has been discontinued
M365 Copilot Business$21 / seat / monthAnnual ($25.20 monthly); limited-time offer from $18; requires an M365 licence
M365 Copilot (Enterprise)$30 / seat / monthAdd-on to an M365 licence; $31.50 when billed monthly

Other models for research & science

Claude for research & scienceAnthropic · editorial 9.01506Gemini for research & scienceGoogle · editorial 8.61527ChatGPT for research & scienceOpenAI · edition 8.91485Le Chat (Mistral) for research & scienceMistral AI · editorial 8.41426
All options for research & science
Professional tools on Copilot

We don't know of a professional tool for research & academia that runs publicly on Copilot.

Questions about Copilot for research & academia

Is Copilot suitable for research & academia?
Not specifically. Copilot isn't on our list for research & science; it's broadly applicable, but first look at the options we recommend for research & science. Keep a professional in the loop for every use.
Can I put confidential data into Copilot?
Never use AI as a source: every reference must be traceable to the original article, as fabricated or misattributed citations are the most common error. Unpublished data, research proposals and peer-review manuscripts are confidential or commercially sensitive, don't put them into a consumer account without a data processing agreement, and check whether the provider stores your input or uses it for training (publishers usually prohibit this explicitly for peer review). If you work with personal data of research participants, the GDPR and your own ethical review apply: then running locally or using an EU-hosted tool with data minimisation is the safe route. Finally, record your search strategy and your AI use: journals and funders increasingly ask for this, and a review must remain reproducible. Microsoft 365 Copilot (business) falls under the EU Data Boundary and doesn't train on tenant data. Consumer Copilot does train by default, with an opt-out.
How much does Copilot cost?
There is Microsoft 365 Personal/Family (from €10 / month), M365 Copilot Business ($21 / seat / month), M365 Copilot (Enterprise) ($30 / seat / month). Check current prices on the official site.
Next stepAll 30 options for research & scienceProfessional tools and general assistants side by side, on GDPR profile, price and quality.

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