Microsoft Copilot: AI Becomes a No-Code App Creation Tool for Everyone
Microsoft takes a significant step in its artificial intelligence strategy with the launch of a major extension for Copilot, its integrated AI assistant in Microsoft 365, which will now allow employees to create applications, automate tasks, and design AI agents — all using simple natural language instructions, without writing a single line of code.
These new features, named App Builder and Workflows, transform Copilot into a true conversational development platform.
The goal: to enable Microsoft 365’s 100 million users to create their own business tools just as easily as they create an Excel spreadsheet or an email.
“We believe a vital part of work in the AI era will involve creating one’s own agents, applications, and automations,” explains Charles Lamanna, president of Microsoft’s Business & Industry Copilot division.
Create a Complete Application with a Simple Description
Now, a user can simply describe the type of application they need — for instance, a project tracking dashboard with task breakdown — and Copilot will automatically generate a functional app, complete with a database, user interface, and security settings.
These applications will utilize Microsoft Lists, the lightweight data management system integrated into 365, and can be shared via a simple link, just like an Office document.
Additionally, the new Workflows feature will convert natural language descriptions into intelligent automations connecting Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, or Planner.
A third component, derived from Copilot Studio, will empower users to create their own specialized AI agents powered by their company’s data (SharePoint documents, emails, meeting notes, etc.).
All these features are included in the Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription at €28.10/month, with no additional cost.
The Culmination of 9 Years of Low-Code Development
These tools are the result of nearly a decade of investment in the Power Platform, Microsoft’s low-code ecosystem. With already 56 million active monthly users, the direct integration of these functionalities into Copilot marks a significant evolution: no need to open a dedicated interface — everything is done from the same conversation window as Copilot.
“Every office employee will now be able to create apps, agents, and workflows as naturally as they write a report or analyze data,” Lamanna emphasizes.
Thanks to its native access to emails, files, and meetings, Copilot can even understand the business context of a project to automatically tailor the proposed features.
Secure and Governed Applications
Applications created via App Builder rely on the same security infrastructure as Microsoft 365 services (identity, encryption, compliance policies). IT administrators can view, transfer, or disable apps and automations created by employees from the administration center.
Internal tools can be promoted to official app status, while those belonging to departing employees remain accessible for 60 days for ownership transfer.
Lamanna advocates this approach of letting “1,000 apps bloom”: the best will be overseen by IT, while the others will remain local and lightweight.
Seamless Integration with Professional Tools
Microsoft has established a principle of “no cliffs”: simple applications can be opened in Power Apps to be enhanced with code or connected to Dataverse, the company database. Similarly, Workflows can evolve into Power Automate, and agents into Copilot Studio or Azure.
This continuity avoids a common pitfall of “no-code” tools: having to recreate everything from scratch when one reaches their limits.
Towards a World Where Every Employee Becomes a “Creator of Apps”
With this integration, Microsoft aims to transform 500 million users into “everyday software builders”. “Just as people used to list ‘Excel proficiency’ on their CVs, we will soon see ‘can create workflows and Copilot agents’,” predicts Lamanna.
For Microsoft, the objective is clear: if even a fraction of its users start designing their own internal tools, it would represent an explosion in the number of software creators and deepen companies’ reliance on its ecosystem.
Availability and Strategic Context
The new App Builder and Workflows features are available today through the Microsoft 365 Copilot Agent Store, but only for members of the Frontier program (early access).
No global deployment date has been announced yet.
This launch is part of Microsoft’s overall strategy to consolidate its partnership with OpenAI (in which it now holds a 27% stake, valued at around $135 billion) and integrate Copilot into Windows 11 and its future products.
