Work smarter with AI
Microsoft Learn
Last updated August 16, 2026
Work smarter with AI is a free Microsoft Learn path — a short orientation to Microsoft Copilot for people who have not yet used an AI assistant seriously. It covers the basics in order — what Copilot is, the kinds of jobs it is meant for, how it arrives at an answer, and how to phrase a request so the answer is useful — then hands over to a guided hands-on exercise that takes up most of the runtime. The whole path is a single module of eight units, closing with a short assessment. The worked tasks center on research, finding information, and producing draft content.
What you'll learn
- What Microsoft Copilot is, in plain terms, and where it fits alongside everyday work
- The kinds of tasks it is built to help with — research, locating information, and drafting content
- A basic account of how Copilot arrives at an answer
- How to phrase a request so the response is specific and usable
- A 40-minute guided exercise spent working directly in Copilot
- A short assessment to check what stuck
Frequently asked questions about Work smarter with AI
Who is Work smarter with AI for?
Anyone who wants a short, hands-on first look at what Microsoft Copilot is and how to ask it for things — including readers without a Copilot license, who can complete the exercise with a free Microsoft account.
Is Work smarter with AI free?
Yes — Work smarter with AI is completely free to take.
What are the prerequisites for Work smarter with AI?
Familiarity with everyday Microsoft productivity apps such as Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. No coding required. The hands-on exercise comes in two versions: with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license you work through the licensed version, and without one you can complete a browser-based alternative that needs only a free Microsoft account.
Why we suggest this course
Most introductions to an AI assistant stop at explaining it. This one spends 40 of its 65 minutes on a single guided exercise, so the bulk of the time is spent using the tool rather than reading about it — which is the part that decides whether an assistant sticks in someone's working week. That exercise ships in two versions: one for readers who have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, and one that runs in a browser and asks only for a free Microsoft account, so the hands-on half is open to anyone who wants to try it. The four short lessons before it are sequenced sensibly: what the tool is, what it can be asked to do, how it works, and only then how to phrase a request. Two things worth knowing: it is an orientation rather than a deep dive on prompt writing, which gets one five-minute unit of the eight; and the stated prerequisite is familiarity with Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, since the examples sit in that world.