Microsoft merges Copilot apps, drops several AI features

Microsoft is combining its separate consumer and business Copilot apps into one. As part of the consolidation, it's dropping AI-generated podcasts, Group Chats, Deep Research, and the Mico character.

Why it matters: The cuts are a rare public admission from a major AI vendor that not every generative feature sticks, and the move toward one simpler product runs counter to the feature-sprawl approach most AI assistants have taken. It comes amid other consolidation moves across the industry, including OpenAI's leadership shake-up and Google's DeepMind restructuring.