Microsoft is expanding its artificial intelligence tools so that building business applications can start from a plain-language conversation. The company has announced app creation is coming to Copilot Cowork and Copilot Studio, with the ability to generate applications, connect them to corporate data, and keep admin and security controls inside Microsoft’s enterprise environment.
Apps in Copilot in 20 seconds
- Copilot Cowork adds app creation through the
/appskill. - Copilot Studio will let people generate apps by describing users, data, goals, and actions in natural language.
- Apps can connect to business data through connectors and Work IQ.
- Microsoft positions them as full-stack applications with open standards, version control, and Git.
- Admins will be able to oversee them from the Microsoft 365 admin center.
The idea behind this rests on something Microsoft sees as increasingly important: generating an application’s code is no longer enough to solve a business problem. An application used inside an organization also needs to access corporate information, interact with existing systems, follow identity and security policies, and fit into existing workflows.
With this expansion, Microsoft wants to bring those pieces together inside a platform that’s already connected to Microsoft 365. Copilot Cowork adds app creation through the new /app skill, available via the Microsoft Frontier program, while Copilot Studio is rolling out this capability as a public preview.
Building an app by describing the outcome
The process starts with a conversation. In Copilot Studio, the user can select the App (Preview) option and explain what they need to build. In Copilot Cowork, the same flow starts by invoking the /app skill.
The description can include the app’s goal, who will use it, what data it needs to query, and what actions it should perform. Based on that information, Copilot Studio uses agent-based code generation to create a first working structure for the app.
The app can keep being modified through natural language. It’s also possible to preview it and review the code behind it. Microsoft is aiming for an experience that works both for employees who just want to focus on the outcome and for developers and power users who need to work directly with the app’s structure.
That’s a key difference from a tool meant only to generate an interface from a description. Users can start with a simple request and later dig into the app’s technical components when they need more control.
Connectors bring AI to company data
Connecting to corporate information is one of the core pieces of this offering. Apps built with Copilot Cowork and Copilot Studio can use connectors to access business data and also draw on Work IQ to bring in organizational context.
Microsoft gives the example of an app to manage new-employee onboarding. It could pull information from a business system, show each person’s progress, present training resources, and then update the relevant records.
Another example the company raises is a field-service app. In that scenario, the app could pull technical product information from a third-party system, show guided instructions, and write results back into the connected systems.
The difference is that the app isn’t limited to displaying AI-generated information. It can use data already available inside the organization and take actions on connected systems, always within the capabilities and policies configured for that environment.
Full-stack apps with IT controls
Microsoft also emphasizes that apps built with these tools are full-stack — meaning they include the various components needed for a complete application — and are built using open standards.
The company notes they can use Git-backed source control, separate deployment stages, and version isolation. That makes it possible to work on a new version without directly touching the experience that’s already published.
Administration stays tied to the corporate environment. By default, apps respect identity managed through Microsoft Entra, along with the policies governing the organization’s data and connectors.
Control isn’t left solely to whoever builds the app. IT admins get centralized visibility from the Microsoft 365 admin center, where they can check the inventory of published apps and access controls for managing, securing, and governing them throughout their lifecycle — building on the kind of oversight Microsoft introduced with Agent 365 for managing AI agent teams.
This approach addresses a problem that shows up as software creation becomes more accessible: an organization can go from having a few teams building applications to having many employees able to build tools tailored to their own needs. The ability to create those solutions has to coexist with mechanisms for knowing what apps exist, what data they use, and how they’re managed.
Copilot Studio adds apps alongside agents and flows
The new feature also expands Copilot Studio’s role. The platform is already geared toward building agents and workflows, and now brings apps into the same space.
Microsoft says the combination makes it possible to build business experiences where an app can coexist with agents and automations. The stated goal is to go from an idea expressed in natural language to a solution that can connect to company systems and be distributed under the organization’s controls.
App creation in Copilot Studio is rolling out as a public preview. In Copilot Cowork, the /app skill is available through the Microsoft Frontier program. Once available in the relevant environment, users will be able to go to the apps section of Copilot Studio and describe in natural language what they want to build.
Microsoft also notes that building and running these apps follows a usage-based billing model tied to Copilot credits. Published apps show up in the Microsoft 365 admin center, while users will be able to discover shared, enterprise-ready apps through Microsoft’s managed app portal.
The company frames this move as a way to bring software creation to more employees without separating that capability from the systems, data, and controls the organization already relies on. The real-world reach will depend on available connectors, configured policies, and each app’s specific needs, but Microsoft’s stated direction is clear: bring natural-language app creation, agents, and business workflows together into a single experience.
FAQ
What is app creation in Copilot Studio?
It’s a feature that lets you describe an app, its users, data, goals, and actions in natural language to generate a working structure that can then be modified and reviewed.
What is Copilot Cowork’s /app skill?
It’s Copilot Cowork’s new capability for starting app creation through a conversation. Microsoft says it’s available through its Frontier program.
Can these apps connect to business data?
Yes. Microsoft says they can use connectors to work with corporate data and systems, as well as bring in organizational context through Work IQ.
How can IT control the apps that get created?
Published apps show up in the Microsoft 365 admin center, where admins get inventory, visibility, and controls to govern, secure, and manage them.
