Pollinger’s Productivity : January 2026
| Visuals created by ChatGPT are really good now |
| ChatGPT introduced Images 1.5, and the improvement over earlier versions is noticeable. Image quality is more consistent, hands and faces are more natural, and text within images is far more reliable. No more waxy faces, 8 fingers on hands and misspellings. |
| Insights: This is now useful for real work rather than just fun and experimentation and the output is on a par with Copilot’s Create Module. Although the prompt templates provided are consumer orientated, presentations, reports and marketing visuals all benefit straight away. It does not replace professional design (yet), but it reduces the time it takes to get from idea to something usable. |
| ChatGPT apps and integrations |
| ChatGPT now has apps as part of the core chat experience. Tools such as Canva, Adobe Photoshop, and Apple Music can now be connected and used directly through ChatGPT, allowing users to move from idea to output without constantly switching tools. For example, use ChatGPT to brainstorm and design a visual then generate in Canva or Photoshop. |
| Insights: This is where ChatGPT becomes even more useful. Being able to move from prompting to creating using the tools you use without leaving ChatGPT saves time and reduces friction. I used ChatGPT with Apple Music to create several Christmas playlists, really quick and fun! Expect more integrations like this in 2026, where AI works alongside existing tools rather than replacing them. |
| New Quizzes app inside ChatGPT |
| ChatGPT introduced a Quizzes app, just after launching apps (see above), which is excellent for flashcards and learning. You can create multiple-choice quizzes, revision questions, or test your understanding of a topic and get instant results and feedback. |
| Insights: This is a really practical addition for learning. It works well for exam prep – I used it to prepare for my AI exams – onboarding, policy understanding, and personal development. I was hoping you could combine it with Shared Chats (see below) so delegates could take part in quizzes during training sessions, but while the multiple-choice questions work, sadly it’s not yet in flashcard format. Hopefully, OpenAI will fix this, or I’ll come up with a workaround. |
| Pin to chat improves everyday usability |
| You can now pin chats in ChatGPT, keeping important conversations at the top of your list. |
| Insights: This is a small change with big impact if you use ChatGPT regularly. Being able to keep key projects, long-running conversations, or reference chats pinned, makes ChatGPT feel much closer to a proper working environment rather than just a chat tool. |
| ChatGPT formatting blocks make it feel like a work tool |
| ChatGPT has introduced new formatting blocks. A small editor-style toolbar now appears when you highlight text inside its newer rich-text areas, such as email drafts or longer writing outputs. This toolbar allows you to format, adjust, and work with content directly where it sits, rather than copying text out to another tool like Word. It is a subtle interface change, but it makes ChatGPT feel far less like a chat window and far more like a working document. |
| Insights: This mirrors what Microsoft has already done with Copilot in Word, where AI support sits inside the document rather than outside it. ChatGPT adding in-place editing tools is a clear sign it is moving towards the same model, supporting real tasks rather than just generating text on demand. In 2026, expect more of these quiet UI changes that make AI feel less conversational and more practical. |
| Copilot conversations integrated into Copilot Search |
| Copilot conversations are now searchable directly within Copilot Search. Users can retrieve previous Copilot chats, including those from notebooks, agents, and the main Copilot interface. A new Copilot Chats data source appears in the right-hand panel, allowing searches to be filtered specifically to Copilot-generated content. |
| Insights: If you use Copilot regularly, this will make it easier to find past chats. Like many people, I always struggled to find the search within the Conversations menu. |
| Shared Chats for Microsoft 365 Copilot |
| Shared Chats allow users to bring colleagues into Copilot conversations, turning individual AI chats into group AI chats inside Microsoft Teams. A user can extend a 1:1 Copilot conversation into a group chat or add Copilot to any existing Teams chat. Team members can then request help from Copilot by typing @copilot within the chat. |
| Insights: This is where Copilot starts to support real teamwork rather than just individual productivity. It makes AI part of group thinking, planning, and drafting, rather than something people do privately and then copy into Teams afterwards. Shared Chats will bring massive benefits for those that embrace it. |
| Glance cards in Copilot Search |
| Glance cards are now rolling out in Copilot Search and are available even to users without a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence. When hovering your mouse cursor over file names, cards surface quick, contextual insights such as recent documents, upcoming meetings, and key actions, without requiring a full search. |
| Insights: This is a classic example of AI doing its job quietly. By surfacing the right information at the right time, Glance cards reduce app-switching and decision fatigue. It is a small feature, but one that can save you time every day. |
| Suggested references for Copilot Notebooks |
| Suggested references automatically surface relevant files, emails, and meeting notes that you might want to add to your reference material in your Copilot Notebook, which acts as a workspace or project area. This pulls useful context into place without manually searching across multiple tools. I don’t yet have access to this feature yet, but I’m looking forward to not only saving time but seeing improved quality of output. |
| Insights: If this works well, it will be genuinely useful. Notebooks are most powerful when they stay connected to real work, and automatic references could prevent them becoming isolated or out of date. This is exactly the kind of background AI support that makes AI features really useful. |
| How you are actually using AI |
| In November’s issue, I asked a simple set of questions: what is the most useful thing AI has helped you with lately, what surprised you, and what worked better than expected. The replies were varied and interesting. One reader described using AI as a suite of specialists, switching it between a City of London trader for investment planning, a venue manager for live events, a health explainer when symptoms appeared, and a running coach. Another highlighted the range, using it in the same week to decode building regulations, check tyre pressures for a van, and understand dog behaviour. ChatGPT helped someone open their car bonnet by giving the exact location of the release button and unexpected step-by-step instructions. My own recent wins were unglamorous but valuable: identifying a washing machine error code and being talked through the fix, avoiding a plumber call-out, and removing a scratch from an aluminium laptop where toothpaste was correctly suggested as the magic fix. |
| Insights: The pattern here is simple. AI is not replacing expertise, it is giving people instant access to it when they need it most. These are not “AI projects”, they are everyday problems that would normally cost time, money, or frustration. The biggest takeaway is this: the next time you have any problem that needs solving, before you search forums, wait on hold, or book someone in, try an AI tool first. Ask it clearly, give it context, and see what comes back. Even if it only gets you part of the way there, that is often enough to save you hours. |
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