Automatic Copilot summaries removed from Word 

25 Sep 2026

Following feedback from colleagues and students, automatic Copilot summaries have been removed from Microsoft Word, giving people greater choice over when and how Copilot features are used.

The change reflects thoughtful feedback from across our community on sustainability, preserving the value of critical thinking and learning for our students and the handling of sensitive information. It also shows how ongoing engagement with colleagues, students and Microsoft will directly shape the Copilot experience at Manchester. 

Colleagues will therefore no longer see a summary generated automatically when they open a Word document. 

Copilot will remain available within Word for colleagues who choose to use it, including where they want it to help summarise a document. There will be no action colleagues need to take for the change to apply. 

What we heard from colleagues and students

As M365 Copilot has become more widely available across the University, colleagues and students shared a range of views about the automatic summary feature in Word.

One of the most common issues raised was the environmental impact of an AI processes running every time a document was opened, regardless of whether a summary was needed. Colleagues told us they wanted greater agency over when AI features were activated and when computing resources were used.

Academic colleagues are also thinking deeply about the impact that AI could have on learning - the opportunities and the challenges it presents. It was felt that the automatic appearance of a summary created the possibility that complex or important documents could be reduced to a handful of bullet points before students had meaningfully engaged with the material themselves. Addressing this concern has been an important consideration as we prepare for the wider rollout of Copilot to students.

Researchers, professional services colleagues and students working with sensitive or restricted information highlighted the importance of ensuring that AI processes involving research, health or other sensitive data are initiated deliberately and transparently, and not automatically. While Copilot operates within the University's security and data protection controls, colleagues told us they wanted greater confidence that AI actions would be triggered intentionally.

Working with Microsoft on the change 

We shared community feedback directly with senior Microsoft representatives and the product teams responsible for Word. Through ongoing discussions, testing and collaboration, we worked together to explore how the feature could better support user choice and responsible AI use. 

Professor Jenn Hallam, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, said:  “What’s come through really strongly in my conversations with colleagues and students is that people want to feel they have a choice in how they use AI. We’ve been able to share that directly with Microsoft, and I’m genuinely pleased to see that feedback listened to and reflected in the product. It’s a great example of what can happen when we listen to our community, have open conversations with our partners, and are able to influence how these technologies develop.” 

What this means for colleagues

Following testing across Word desktop and online:

• Opening a Word document will no longer automatically trigger a Copilot summary 
• Colleagues will still be able to use Copilot to summarise a document when they choose to 
• No action will be required for the change to take effect 

This change is specifically about automatic summaries in Word. It does not remove Copilot from Word or affect colleagues’ ability to use its other available features.

Continuing to learn and improve

This update is one example of how colleague feedback is helping to shape our approach to M365 Copilot.

Colleagues have also shared views on areas including information security, sustainability, accessibility, learning opportunities, and access to trusted guidance and support. These conversations continue to inform our work with Microsoft and the way we roll out M365 Copilot to all colleagues and students.

We are also working closely with Microsoft and academic colleagues to review the suggested prompts that appear within Microsoft applications. Together we are developing a set of University-approved prompts, informed by academic expertise and agreed design principles, to help students use AI in ways that support learning, reflection and skill development.

We will share further updates on this work, alongside other product improvements being explored with Microsoft, in the coming weeks.

By listening, learning and improving together, we can ensure Copilot is introduced in a way that reflects the needs of our community, supports equitable access to its benefits, and enables colleagues to use AI responsibly, confidently and with choice.

Further information

• Visit M365 Copilot at Manchester
• Find guidance and support for using M365 Copilot
• Share a question or feedback about M365 Copilot