What is Microsoft Work IQ and what does it mean for me?

You'll know that most of Microsoft's recent keynotes, talks and announcements have focused around Copilot, agents, and the future of work. But more recently, you may have heard them talk more and more about Microsoft Work IQ. 

But what actually is Work IQ, why does it matter, and what does it mean for your day‑to‑day work? 

Let’s break it down in simple terms. 

What is Microsoft Work IQ? 

Microsoft Work IQ is the name given to the intelligence layer that sits behind Microsoft 365 Copilot, designed to understand your work context. It helps Copilot know you, your job, your teams, and your company inside out.  

Work IQ ensures Copilot has an understanding of how work actually happens at your organisation. It’s not just about what files you have or what meetings are in your calendar; Work IQ goes beyond this to connect the dots between everything that is going on – at all levels, in all departments.  

It allows Copilot and AI agents to give support and responses that feel relevant to the way you work within your organisation, every single day. 

How does it work? 

Microsoft explains Work IQ as bringing together three core elements: data, memory, and inference.  

• Data: it uses the data that already exists in your documents, folders, chats, emails, meetings and more to capture how work happens 

• Memory: it learns and remembers your style, preferences, and key relationships, allowing Copilot to understand your unique patterns  

• Inference: Connects the dots between its data and memory to unlock insights, and predict the best action suitable for you 

In short, it connects data with learning how you work, to give you responses and support that feels unique to you.  

Uhhh, how is that different to the Microsoft Graph? 

On the surface, Microsoft Graph and Work IQ could feel like interchangeable terms. But there are some key differences.  

They are two different technologies. Microsoft Graph is the data layer – Work IQ sits on top of it. Microsoft Graph securely connects to emails, files, meetings and chats across Microsoft 365 and enforces permissions. Work IQ adds intelligence to it. Interpreting that data, building a memory of it and how the work actually happens, and then using inference to predict what matters next.  

To put it in simple terms: Microsoft Graph provides the information, while Work IQ understands the context. 

So what does Microsoft’s Work IQ mean for me? 

Most people won’t interact with Work IQ as a tangible thing – it will work away in the background without you knowing. What you might notice is that Copilot understands you faster, produces more relevant drafts responses, and feels much more like a work assistant than a chatbot. It will also make AI agents more powerful, ensuring they offer genuine productivity gains for people.  

For Leaders, Work IQ will offer greater data around how collaboration flows across the organisation, where teams are overloaded and where work gets stuck.  

Microsoft’s Work IQ – Final thoughts  
 

At its core, Work IQ is what helps Copilot deeply understand your work, and how it happens. It goes beyond just being able to access your work and instead learns how you work. Including who you work with, and what matters most. 

Work IQ is what makes AI support feel relevant rather than generic. It is the difference between AI that simply responds to prompts, and AI that truly understands how you get your work done.