Microsoft Corp. today introduced Copilot Mode for its artificial intelligence-enabled enterprise browser, Edge for Business, turning the web browser into a capable agentic partner.

Microsoft Edge for Business is the company’s AI-based browser that combines public web data with enterprise data, providing a way for organizations to secure and control browser-based data flow actively within, and exiting from, their organizations.

Copilot Mode, now in private preview, takes the enterprise-focused browser and adds an additional automated AI layer that brings in proactive, contextual software intelligence. By bringing this capability to Edge for Business, Microsoft aims to make AI-enabled browsing safe for enterprise workplaces.

Microsoft originally launched Copilot Mode for its consumer Edge browser edition in July. Now it’s arriving for enterprise use cases.

The new mode brings AI agents, capable of taking action on a user’s behalf with multistep workflows, a new Copilot-inspired tab and a daily briefing curated by AI agents.

Agent mode makes the browser a fully capable, automated and intelligent partner capable of taking browser-based actions while pulling in both enterprise and external knowledge. For example, a user might ask the AI agent to search for information in company knowledge bases and then take action.

Such actions may include scanning e-commerce websites for items that match a description, providing suggestions for purchases, and even completing transactions on the user’s behalf. Users could also ask the browser agent to look over multiple web pages on a particular subject and summarize the information in them into a single report.

The daily briefing function will access a user’s meetings, tasks and other priorities using the Microsoft Graph and browser history. According to the company, this will help users avoid forgetting important things and “focus on the right things at the right time.”

A Microsoft Copilot 365 subscription is required for all of these capabilities.

In Agent Mode, the browser will respect existing data protection policies to prevent data loss. It won’t access passwords, payment methods or other sensitive data stored in Edge wallet without explicit permission. Any time the AI agent discovers a potentially sensitive action, it will require user approval.

Additionally in private preview, outside of Copilot Mode the browser can execute reasoning across open tabs. This means that the browser may now provide answers across multiple tabs, including organizational and web content.

A new natural language search will allow users to look through their browsing history for the past three months. Using this tool, users will no longer need to recall exact titles or keywords. Instead, generative AI copilot capabilities will infer intent and provide more contextually appropriate answers.

The browser can also now summarize YouTube videos, providing short snippet descriptions of what happened in the content and answer questions.

All these new features in private preview are planned for a broader rollout in February.

Security features coming to Edge for Business

In addition to deeper AI integration, Microsoft is enhancing controls for Edge for Business, which simplify browser management and data security.

Employees often lack awareness of data policies protecting information and may not know which data is considered sensitive. This can stress workers when they try to copy and paste something they believed was safe, only to find it wasn’t accepted by the browser environment.

To help them distinguish between safe and sensitive data, such as files that are safe to share and those that are not, Edge will now provide a watermarking overlay. This is a persistent, visual reminder that will prompt users to pause and think before sharing confidential information.

Admins can enable this watermarking capability with a toggle, causing the overlay to appear on sensitive files and sites based on sensitivity labels and data protection policies.

Instead of forcing admins into an “all or nothing” with copy/paste, Edge also now allows admins to designate trusted boundaries for web apps. Now, instead of turning off all copy/paste or turning it on for everyone, data will have borders that it cannot cross. Data within the boundary set by administrators will remain secure as long as it stays within the organization or team. However, attempts to transfer data outside the boundary will be blocked.

LayerX Security Ltd., the developer of an all-in-one AI and browser security platform, reported recently that copy/paste now leads as a conduit for sensitive data leaks. The report states that 77% of employees are copying and pasting data into generative AI tools. In the past, file-based data projection focused on uploads and shared drives, now representing 38% of uploads. The report noted that 40% of those files contain sensitive information.

New cross-platform security policies will allow information technology administrators to use the Edge management service within the Microsoft 365 management center. Using this, IT can set and enforce Edge browser policies across Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, allowing them to pick and choose platforms to configure controls.

Edge for Business is getting cost-effective security features enabling control for bring your own device, or BYOD, scenarios to secure devices managed by other organizations. Edge already permits admins to secure device access by employees outside of work and contractors using Intune Mobile Application Management; that capability now extends further.

Admins will be able to set up MAM policies to create profiles for externally managed devices, creating a secure browsing environment in Edge for Business. Using this capability, admins will be able to direct file downloads to OneDrive for Business, Microsoft’s secure enterprise sharing platform and associate it with that specific Edge deployment.

IT administrators will also be able to enforce copy/paste restrictions, making certain copied data remains within organizational boundaries.

Most of these features will be rolling out in preview later this month. Intune MAM protections will launch sometime in January.

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