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A person in the left seat flies a small airplane with both hands on the controls. A robot in the right seat holds a clipboard and points ahead without touching the controls.
Reviewed visual · version 1

RS Glossary

Copilot

A copilot is an AI assistant built into a tool or workflow that proposes work — text, code, analysis, a next step — for a person to accept, change, or reject. The name describes an intended division of labor rather than a guarantee: what a particular product can do on its own depends on the permissions and automation it has actually been given.

Review state
Reviewed in POC
Freshness
Current
Version
4
  • Copilot
  • AI Copilot

Remember it this wayThe copilot assists; the human still owns the flight.

In plain language

A copilot may suggest text, code, analysis, or next steps inside the place where work already happens. The human is expected to steer, check, and decide what to use.

Why it matters

The label signals an intended support relationship, but actual permissions and automation must still be inspected. A product called a copilot may have capabilities beyond simple suggestions.

Example

A spreadsheet copilot proposes a formula and explains it, while the analyst decides whether to insert and use it.

Common misconception

Calling software a copilot does not guarantee meaningful human control. Workflow design must preserve time, information, and authority for review.

Related terms

Sources

Learn more

  • Compare an assistive copilot with a more action-oriented [[ai-agent|AI Agent]].

Public history

47 recorded events · 47 public summaries

  1. A potential shared concept was discussed and selected for initial glossary drafting.

  2. The captured candidate received a complete initial draft and entered section-level human review.

  3. Radar reviewed the initial definition draft for human consideration.

  4. Radar reviewed the initial plain-language-explanation draft for human consideration.

  5. Radar reviewed the initial why-it-matters draft for human consideration.

  6. Radar reviewed the initial example draft for human consideration.

  7. Radar reviewed the initial common-misconception draft for human consideration.

  8. Radar reviewed the initial remember-it-this-way draft for human consideration.

  9. Radar reviewed the initial related-terms draft for human consideration.

  10. Radar reviewed the initial sources draft for human consideration.

  11. Radar reviewed the initial learn-more draft for human consideration.

  12. A proposal was opened for section-level human review while preserving the current version.

  13. A human reviewer opened a proposed revision while preserving the current approved or captured version.

  14. definition approved by a human reviewer.

  15. plain-language-explanation approved by a human reviewer.

  16. why-it-matters approved by a human reviewer.

  17. example approved by a human reviewer.

  18. common-misconception approved by a human reviewer.

  19. remember-it-this-way approved by a human reviewer.

  20. related-terms approved by a human reviewer.

  21. sources returned for revision.

  22. learn-more approved by a human reviewer.

  23. Requested wording was prepared without changing approved or existing sections.

  24. Radar reviewed the pending sources section for human consideration.

  25. Radar must rereview the complete copilot term after an accepted text change.

  26. Radar must rereview the complete copilot term after an accepted text change.

  27. Radar must rereview the complete copilot term after an accepted text change.

  28. Radar must rereview the complete copilot term after an accepted text change.

  29. Radar must rereview the complete copilot term after an accepted text change.

  30. Radar must rereview the complete copilot term after an accepted text change.

  31. Radar must rereview the complete copilot term after an accepted text change.

  32. Radar must rereview the complete copilot term after an accepted text change.

  33. Radar must rereview the complete copilot term after an accepted text change.

  34. sources approved by a human reviewer.

  35. sources approved wording became the current section text.

  36. All section gates are approved; content version 2 is now a fully approved term.

  37. Radar rereviewed the human-approved definition wording for this exact version.

  38. Radar rereviewed the human-approved plain-language-explanation wording for this exact version.

  39. Radar rereviewed the human-approved why-it-matters wording for this exact version.

  40. Radar rereviewed the human-approved example wording for this exact version.

  41. Radar rereviewed the human-approved common-misconception wording for this exact version.

  42. Radar rereviewed the human-approved remember-it-this-way wording for this exact version.

  43. Radar rereviewed the human-approved related-terms wording for this exact version.

  44. Radar rereviewed the human-approved sources wording for this exact version.

  45. Radar rereviewed the human-approved learn-more wording for this exact version.

  46. Definition review recorded as replace.

  47. Definition review recorded as replace.

Source: vault/Glossary/terms/copilot/term.md · sha256:5fec0b5672cc0a86c33caa1e42b6ff8926898f2b8bcdcdd666420a96c863cab0 · Release: rs-glossary-glossary-team-poc-0.5.5-2026-09-02