Microsoft launches Dragon Copilot, a new voice-activated AI assistant for doctors

Microsoft is giving its healthcare AI tools a major update. The Redmond-based company on Monday unveiled Dragon Copilot, a voice-activated assistant that combines features from Dragon Medical One and DAX Copilot into a single tool.

The assistant is built to help doctors with administrative work, a major source of burnout in the industry. It can pull information from medical databases, draft clinical notes, create referral letters, generate post-visit summaries, and more—all through voice commands.

“Through this technology, clinicians will have the ability to focus on the patient rather than the computer, and this is going to lead to better outcomes and ultimately better health care for all,” said Dr. David Rhew, Microsoft’s global chief medical officer, during a press briefing.

In just two years, clinician burnout in the U.S. has declined from 53% in 2023 to 48% in 2024, thanks in part to advancements in technology. But with an aging population and ongoing strain on healthcare workers, a major workforce shortage is looming. To address this, health systems are turning to AI to reduce administrative burdens, improve access to care, and accelerate clinical decision-making—moves that could reshape healthcare on a global scale.

Physicians spend nearly 28 hours a week on paperwork, according to an October study from Google Cloud. Microsoft says this technology will let doctors focus more on their patients instead of on the screens.

“At Microsoft, we have long believed that AI has the incredible potential to free clinicians from much of the administrative burden in healthcare and enable them to refocus on taking care of patients,” Joe Petro, corporate vice president of Microsoft Health and Life Sciences Solutions and Platforms, said in a news release.

“With the launch of our new Dragon Copilot, we are introducing the first unified voice AI experience to the market, drawing on our trusted, decades-long expertise that has consistently enhanced provider wellness and improved clinical and financial outcomes for provider organizations and the patients they serve.”

Microsoft’s AI Bet on Healthcare

Microsoft has been pushing deeper into the AI-driven medical documentation space since acquiring Nuance Communications for $16 billion in 2021. That deal made Microsoft a major player in AI-powered clinical scribing, an area that’s become increasingly competitive as hospitals and health systems look for ways to reduce administrative burdens.

DAX Copilot, for instance, has already been used in over 3 million patient visits across 600 healthcare organizations just in the last month, according to Microsoft. The new Dragon Copilot builds on that, offering a mobile app, browser, and desktop integration that works directly with various electronic health records (EHRs).

Competing startups like Abridge and Suki—which have raised over $460 million and $170 million, respectively—have been developing similar tools. Microsoft’s latest update could help it stand out with a more streamlined experience and deeper integration with its existing ecosystem.

What Dragon Copilot Can Do

The assistant still allows doctors to draft notes from recorded patient visits, but it now offers more interactive capabilities. Physicians can edit documentation using natural language commands or ask it for specific insights.

For example, a doctor could ask, “Was the patient experiencing ear pain?” or request, “Can you add the ICD-10 codes to the assessment and plan?” The AI can also respond to broader medical queries, such as, “Should this patient be screened for lung cancer?” and provide answers with links to sources like the CDC.

WellSpan Health, which operates nine hospitals across 250 locations, has been testing Dragon Copilot in recent months. Dr. David Gasperack, chief medical officer of primary care services at WellSpan, says early results have been promising.

“We’ve been asked more and more over time to do administrative tasks that pull us away from the patient relationship and medical decision making,” Gasperack said. “This allows us to get back to that so we can focus on the patient, truly think about what’s needed.”

Dragon Copilot: When and Where It’s Available

Microsoft hasn’t disclosed the pricing, only saying it will be “competitive” and that existing users can upgrade easily. Dragon Copilot will be available in May for U.S. and Canadian users, with plans to expand to the U.K., Netherlands, France, and Germany later this year.

“Our goal remains to restore the joy of practicing medicine for clinicians and provide a better experience for patients globally,” Rhew said.

With AI scribes becoming an increasingly standard part of modern healthcare, Microsoft is positioning Dragon Copilot as a seamless, voice-driven assistant to help doctors reclaim time that’s been swallowed up by paperwork. Whether it outperforms competitors like Abridge and Suki remains to be seen, but with its deep integrations and enterprise reach, Microsoft is clearly aiming for a leading spot in the space.