Microsoft is moving another Outlook feature behind a Copilot paywall
Microsoft is retiring the Meeting Insight feature in Outlook by early September 2026, replacing it with a new AI-powered “Prepare for this meeting” experience. The shift represents a significant monetization change: the replacement feature will require a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot license, while the original Meeting Insight feature was available to all Outlook users at no additional cost.
Meeting Insight currently provides users with automatically surfaced relevant content for upcoming meetings, including related tasks, documents, and emails. The new “Prepare for this meeting” feature offers similar functionality while being framed as a more intelligent and context-aware meeting preparation experience powered by AI.
Microsoft justifies the change as part of its strategy to deliver enhanced AI-powered features to productivity tools. However, the shift effectively converts a previously universal feature into a premium offering, requiring users without Copilot subscriptions to lose access to meeting insights in their Outlook event details.
This change reflects Microsoft’s broader strategy of placing advanced features behind Copilot paywalls as it works to drive adoption of its AI services within Microsoft 365. For businesses and individuals already evaluating subscription costs, the retirement of the free feature adds another consideration to the total cost of ownership for Microsoft’s productivity suite.