At the start of the New Year, with no warning, Microsoft gives its flagship productivity app a name change and a huge price increase. Why would the company make this mess? I asked Copilot, who explained it very well.

Further frustration arose from the confusing cross-subscription policies. ZDNet's Ed Bott, who pays for both work and personal Microsoft 365 plans, was essentially blocked from using Copilot features on one of those accounts due to a technical limitation Microsoft apparently didn't properly communicate.

Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscription renewals automatically include Copilot with a small price increase. To avoid the raised price, you must manually downgrade to Microsoft 365 Family or Personal Classic before the renewal takes place.

Microsoft 365 subscribers in Australia, New Zealand, and some Asian markets just got an AI upgrade, along with a huge price increase. How long until customers in the US and Europe see the same?