'No one becomes a clinician...': Satya Nadella announces Dragon Copilot, Microsoft’s AI boost for healthcare workers

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has introduced the company’s latest AI-powered tool, designed to help clinicians spend less time on paperwork and more on patient care. Calling it an “industry first,” Nadella unveiled Microsoft Dragon Copilot on March 3.  

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Nadella wrote, “No one becomes a clinician to do paperwork, but it's becoming a bigger and bigger administrative burden, taking time and attention away from actually treating and supporting patients.”  

“That’s why we’re introducing Microsoft Dragon Copilot, the industry’s first AI assistant for clinical workflow,” he added.

Capability, pricing and rollout  

Dragon Copilot is designed to streamline clinical documentation by pulling relevant medical information and automatically drafting clinical notes, referral letters, and post-visit summaries. The AI assistant aims to reduce administrative workload, a leading cause of burnout among healthcare professionals.  

Microsoft has already seen success with DAX Copilot, an AI scribe that helps doctors draft notes in real time by recording patient visits with consent. Over the past month, DAX Copilot has been used in more than 3 million patient visits across 600 health-care organizations, the company said.  

Dragon Copilot will be available on mobile, browser, and desktop, integrating seamlessly with various electronic health record systems. Unlike its predecessor, it allows clinicians to edit documentation using natural language and refine drafts through voice commands, according to Kenn Harper, general manager of Dragon products at Microsoft.  

While Microsoft did not disclose pricing details, it said the cost would be “competitive” and that existing customers would find it easy to upgrade. Dragon Copilot will launch in the US and Canada in May, with plans to expand to the UK, the Netherlands, France, and Germany in the coming months.