Microsoft Corp. is raising the price of its package of Office apps for consumers, a bet that subscribers will be willing to cough up more for access to new artificial intelligence tools.

Microsoft has been testing adding AI-powered Office apps, the most important feature of Copilot Pro, into the Microsoft 365 subscriptions in recent months. What was previously only available in Australia, New Zealand, and a number of countries across Asia is now expanding to most markets worldwide.

Microsoft 365 subscribers in Australia, New Zealand, and some Asian markets just got an AI upgrade, along with a huge price increase. How long until customers in the US and Europe see the same?

Microsoft hasn't said for how long this "limited time" offer will last, but presumably it will only last for a year or two to help ease the transition between the old pricing and the new pricing. New subscribers won't be offered the option to pay for the Classic plans.

Microsoft is increasing the price of its consumer Microsoft 365 bundle by $3 per month as it adds AI features to various applications.

In a blog post Thursday, Microsoft said it’s increasing the price of its Microsoft 365 bundle for consumers by $3 a month.