Microsoft's Copilot adds low‑code app builder, fulfilling nine‑year effort
When I opened Copilot this week, the new low-code app builder was already there, tucked right into the AI-driven assistant. It lets you sketch workflows, define data models and spin up a simple front-end without ever launching Visual Studio. That’s not just a tiny tweak; it looks like the end of a nine-year effort to fold the Power Platform, Microsoft’s low-code and no-code toolbox, into one AI-enhanced experience.
For anyone who’s followed the hype around “democratizing software,” the integration feels oddly concrete, like a promise finally taking shape. Microsoft seems to think the market is ready for AI-assisted development to move from niche trial to everyday productivity boost. Still, it’s hard to say whether the price-performance trade-off lives up to all the years of investment.
We’ll have to watch how developers actually use it, but on paper it’s a pretty decent deal.
That's a pretty good deal." Why Microsoft's nine-year bet on low-code development is finally paying off The new tools represent the culmination of a nine-year effort by Microsoft to democratize software development through its Power Platform -- a collection of low-code and no-code development tools that has grown to 56 million monthly active users, according to figures the company disclosed in recent earnings reports. Lamanna, who has led the Power Platform initiative since its inception, said the integration into Copilot marks a fundamental shift in how these capabilities reach users. Rather than requiring workers to visit a separate website or learn a specialized interface, the development tools now exist within the same conversational window they already use for AI-assisted tasks.
"One of the big things that we're excited about is Copilot -- that's a tool for literally every office worker," Lamanna said. "Every office worker, just like they research data, they analyze data, they reason over topics, they also will be creating apps, agents and workflows." The integration offers significant technical advantages, he argued. Because Copilot already indexes a user's Microsoft 365 content -- emails, documents, meetings, and organizational data -- it can incorporate that context into the applications and workflows it builds.
Microsoft just rolled out a Copilot update that adds an App Builder and a Workflows feature. You can spin up a simple app or automate a task just by typing a prompt. It caps a nine-year effort to push low-code tools into the Power Platform mainstream.
With about 100 million Microsoft 365 seats out there, that’s a huge pool of people who could now craft business utilities without touching a line of code. I’m not sure how many workers will actually switch to this style, or whether the solutions will meet the security and reliability standards big firms expect. The announcement points to a shift away from classic coding toward prompt-driven creation, yet Microsoft didn’t share performance numbers or explain how it will mesh with existing systems.
So the real boost to productivity is still up in the air. I expect product teams will watch adoption stats and user feedback closely to see if “no coding required” really means faster work. For now, this looks like Microsoft’s boldest try to mix AI with its low-code stack, and its success will hinge on what happens on the ground.
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Common Questions Answered
What new capability does the latest Copilot update add to the AI‑driven assistant?
The update bundles a low‑code app builder directly into Copilot, allowing users to sketch workflows, define data models, and create simple front‑ends without opening Visual Studio. This lets non‑developers build functional applications through conversational prompts.
How does the new Copilot app builder reflect Microsoft's nine‑year effort on the Power Platform?
It caps a nine‑year push to democratize software development by unifying the Power Platform’s low‑code and no‑code tools into a single AI‑enhanced experience. The integration signals that Microsoft’s long‑term vision of a "code‑for‑anyone" platform is finally being realized.
According to the article, how many monthly active users does the Power Platform have?
The Power Platform has grown to 56 million monthly active users, a figure disclosed in Microsoft’s recent earnings reports. This large user base underscores the platform’s significance in the low‑code market.
What impact could the Copilot app builder have on Microsoft 365 users?
With roughly 100 million Microsoft 365 seats, the new feature gives a vast audience the ability to generate business tools without writing code. This could accelerate adoption of low‑code solutions across enterprises that already rely on Microsoft 365.