Microsoft Expands AI Partnerships: Integrates Anthropic's Claude Models into Copilot

Microsoft adds Anthropic's AI to Copilot | TechCrunch

Microsoft is leaning into its new partnership with OpenAI's chief rival, Anthropic. Starting Wednesday, the software giant will incorporate Anthropic's AI models into its AI assistant Copilot, which has previously been fueled mainly by OpenAI. The deal signals yet another step toward the slow disentangling between the erstwhile exclusive partners, and comes a couple of weeks after Microsoft inked a deal to use Anthropic's AI in Office 365 apps like Word, Excel, and Outlook. Copilot business users will be able to choose between OpenAI's deep reasoning models and Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.1 and Claude Sonnet 4 for help with certain tasks, like complex researching and help building custom AI tools and enterprise-grade agents. Opus 4.1 is designed for complex reasoning, coding, and deep architecture planning, whereas Sonnet 4 is better for routine development tasks, large-scale data processing, and content generation.

Microsoft 365 Copilot Adds Two Anthropic AI Models, Giving Users a Choice

Blake has over a decade of experience writing for the web, with a focus on mobile phones, where he covered the smartphone boom of the 2010s and the broader tech scene. When he's not in front of a keyboard, you'll most likely find him playing video games, watching horror flicks, or hunting down a good churro. Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it is adding two of Anthropic's AI models, Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1, to its AI assistant, 365 Copilot. The Claude models won't replace OpenAI's ChatGPT for general chatbot inquiries but will be used for specific tasks. Adding Claude will allow Copilot users to get a different AI perspective compared to just using ChatGPT. Since models are trained with other datasets, their output can vary dramatically. Claude Opus 4.1 will be added as an option within Copilot's Researcher AI agents, alongside ChatGPT, and both Anthropic models can be used within Copilot Studio. Copilot's Researcher agents are reasoning agents that can work with the data you use daily, such as emails, meeting information and files, to help brainstorm new products and create advanced reports. Users can compare the efforts put forth by each model to see which one works best. With Copilot Studio, users can build enterprise agents for their businesses using four different OpenAI models and the new Anthropic models. Access to the new models is currently limited. 365 Copilot licensed customers can opt in through the Frontier Program to access Claude Opus 4.1 in Researcher agents. To build agents, users can opt in to try Claude in Copilot Studio. An organization's admin can enable access within the Office 365 admin center.

Microsoft Copilot now offers Claude models - how to try them

Microsoft has been distancing itself from its dependence on OpenAI. Microsoft is continuing to invest in its new partnership with Anthropic, while distancing itself further from OpenAI. On Wednesday, the tech giant announced that two of Anthropic's frontier models, Claude Sonnet 4 and Opus 4.1, were now available through its Copilot AI assistant. Also: Microsoft's new Windows AI Labs lets you try experimental features first - how to opt-in "Copilot will continue to be powered by OpenAI's latest models, and now our customers will have the flexibility to use Anthropic models too," Charles Lamanna, president of Copilot's business and industry division at Microsoft, wrote in a company blog post. Microsoft 365 Copilot subscribers will now have the option to choose between OpenAI's reasoning models and Claude Opus 4.1 when using Microsoft's Researcher, an AI agent within Copilot designed to handle complex, multistep tasks. Also: Microsoft Copilot is taking over Teams. Here's how AI will shape your daily workflow Users will see a "Try Claude" button in the top-right corner of Copilot when using Researcher. Selecting it will activate Opus 4.1 instead of OpenAI's models, which the system uses by default. Claude Sonnet 4 and Opus 4.1 are also now available through Copilot Studio, a platform Microsoft launched last year through which customers can design custom agents. Studio also has mix-and-match capabilities enabling the design of agents that incorporate elements of models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and others hosted on Azure. OpenAI's GPT-4o is still included as the default model for custom agents made in Copilot Studio. To select a different OpenAI model or one of the two Claude models that are now available, users can click on the ellipses next to "Agent's model" in the Details section. They'll then be directed to a new window where they can click a drop-down menu to choose from all of the available models. Also: OpenAI tested GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini on real-world tasks - the results were surprising Both Claude models are listed as "external," since they're not hosted by Microsoft's servers and are therefore subject to Anthropic's terms of service. The addition of Anthropic's frontier models to Copilot marks Microsoft's latest effort to diversify its AI offerings for customers. Until recently, the company was almost exclusively dependent upon OpenAI to fuel its AI products. But as OpenAI shifts its business structure -- it's also reportedly now partnering with Google, Microsoft's biggest competitor, to gain access to its cloud computing resources -- the two companies have drifted apart. Also: How people actually use ChatGPT vs Claude - and what the differences tell us Microsoft kicked off a partnership with Anthropic earlier this month, embedding the startup's AI systems across its suite of Microsoft 365 workplace productivity apps. That news followed closely on the heels of Anthropic's latest funding round, which left it with a valuation of $183 billion, a massive figure fueled in large part by the popularity of the company's products among enterprise clients. Microsoft also announced the launch last month of its first in-house models, MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview -- another move that signaled an ongoing drift away from OpenAI.

Microsoft embraces OpenAI rival Anthropic to improve Microsoft 365 apps

Microsoft is bringing Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 AI models to its Microsoft 365 Copilot today. It's a big move that expands model choice beyond just OpenAI's range of models in Microsoft 365 Copilot, and it will allow Microsoft's customers to access Anthropic models in Researcher and Microsoft Copilot Studio. "Copilot will continue to be powered by OpenAI's latest models, and now our customers will have the flexibility to use Anthropic models too -- starting in Researcher or when building agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio," explains Charles Lamanna, president of Microsoft's business and industry Copilot team. "The addition of Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 advances our commitment to bring the best AI innovation from across the industry to Microsoft 365 Copilot, tuned for work and tailored to your business needs." Microsoft's Researcher agent can now use OpenAI's deep reasoning models or Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.1. Researcher users will see a "Try Claude" button at the top of the Microsoft 365 Copilot app that provides access to Opus 4.1 instead of OpenAI's models. "Once you opt-in, you'll be able to switch between OpenAI and Anthropic models in Researcher with ease," Lamanna says. Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 will also be available as model options in Copilot Studio, Microsoft's platform for building AI agents. "With this launch, you can build, orchestrate, and manage agents powered by Anthropic models for deep reasoning, workflow automation, and flexible agentic tasks," Lamanna explains. You'll also be able to mix which models are used for specific tasks, with options from Anthropic, OpenAI, and other models in Azure's model catalog. Claude in Researcher is rolling out today via the Frontier program to Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed customers who decide to opt in. Copilot Studio users can also opt in to get access to Claude. Interestingly, Anthropic's AI models will still be hosted on Amazon Web Services, Microsoft's main cloud rival. Microsoft accesses Claude via the Anthropic API, just like any other developer. Microsoft previously struck a deal with xAI to host Grok 3 models on Azure, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar arrangement with Anthropic's models on Azure soon. Microsoft's announcement of Anthropic models in Microsoft 365 Copilot arrives just a week after the company started favoring Anthropic over OpenAI for Visual Studio Code. GitHub Copilot paid users now "primarily rely on Claude Sonnet 4" when using the Visual Studio Code editor's new automatic AI model selection. Reports have also suggested that Microsoft will use Anthropic's AI models in Excel and PowerPoint soon, after finding they outperformed OpenAI's own models. "This is just the beginning -- we're committed to delivering model innovation at speed," Lamanna teases. "Stay tuned: Anthropic models will bring even more powerful experiences to Microsoft 365 Copilot."

Microsoft Brings Anthropic's AI Models to Copilot 365

(Credit: Zain bin Awais/PCMag composite; Microsoft; J studio/via Getty Images) Don't miss out on our latest stories. Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google. Microsoft has begun integrating Anthropic's AI models, Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1, into its Copilot assistant. The new additions will first be made available on apps like Researcher and Microsoft Copilot Studio. Once users opt in to use Anthropic's models, they will be able to switch between Claude and OpenAI's models within these apps. With this move, Anthropic becomes Microsoft's first Copilot AI partner outside OpenAI. Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI, but it had indicated earlier this year that it would be looking at options beyond the ChatGPT-maker as well. There have also been reports about growing tensions between the two companies, with Microsoft even calling OpenAI a rival in AI and search. The new partnership reduces Microsoft's dependency on OpenAI, but the latter's models will continue to be the default on Microsoft 365 Copilot. "Copilot will continue to be powered by OpenAI's latest models, and now our customers will have the flexibility to use Anthropic models too," said Charles Lamanna, president of Microsoft's business and industry Copilot team. "The addition of Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 advances our commitment to bring the best AI innovation from across the industry to Microsoft 365 Copilot, tuned for work and tailored to your business needs." Researcher, as the name suggests, lets you gather, analyze, and summarize information. Copilot Studio, on the other hand, lets you build AI agents. In Researcher, Claude started rolling out on Wednesday through the Frontier Program for Microsoft 365 Copilot-licensed customers. In Copilot Studio, it's currently available for customers in early release cycle environments and will be made available for preview in all environments in the next two weeks. Use of Claude models in both these products is subject to approval from your organization's admin. Additionally, Microsoft warns that Anthropic's models are hosted on Amazon's cloud service. So if users choose to opt in, they will be agreeing to Anthropic's terms of service and data handling policies.

Microsoft puts Claude on the M365 menu

Microsoft has sealed a deal with Anthropic to give users of Microsoft 365 Copilot the option to use the Claude AI engine. "Our multi-model approach goes beyond choice," chirped CEO Satya Nadella on Wednesday. "It's all about bringing the best AI from across the industry to Copilot, tuned for work and tailored to every business." Microsoft is adding Claude Opus 4.1 and its Sonnet 4 bot as options for commercial Frontier Copilot users. Drop down the scrolling menu past version four and five flavors of GPT and there's a couple samples from Claude to try out, as you can see below. However, you'll need your admin's permission to start building a bot on Claude code. Youtube Video Microsoft's closer ties with Claude are just the start, explained Charles Lamanna, Redmond's president of business & industry for Copilot. "Anthropic models will bring even more powerful experiences to Microsoft 365 Copilot," he teased. It's another sign that Microsoft is moving beyond OpenAI as a supplier of its machine-learning machinery, and is moving to a more open approach to AI agents. Despite spending billions to grow OpenAI, Microsoft has increasingly diversified its options of late. The OS slinger has already added Claude into the Visual Studio family - along with Google AI tech - and even added Elon Musk's Grok AI as an option in Azure. Microsoft's AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, formerly the co-founder of Google's DeepMind, has admitted Microsoft does not feel it needs to be an AI leader, and will instead build applications based on the best technology from others. Meanwhile, OpenAI is plowing its own furrow with the likes of Oracle and others. In a series of announcements over the last few months the duo, with financial help from Softbank, have announced a dramatic expansion of AI datacenters as part of Project Stargate. The three companies are making optimistic claims about building a globe-spanning AI network, and allocated over half a trillion dollars of cash they don't have to the project. Microsoft, having spent enough, seems content to sit that one out and check out the competition. ®

Microsoft brings Anthropic AI models to 365 Copilot, diversifies beyond OpenAI

Sept 24 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab said on Wednesday it will integrate artificial intelligence models from Anthropic into its Copilot assistant, signaling the software giant's push to reduce dependence on its high-profile partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI. While Copilot will remain powered by OpenAI's latest models, users will be able to select Anthropic models, Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1, in Copilot's AI-powered reasoning agent "Researcher," as well as when developing agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio. Starting Wednesday, users who opt in to try Claude can switch between OpenAI and Anthropic models in Researcher, said Charles Lamanna, president of Microsoft's business and industry Copilot operations. The move marks a shift for Microsoft Copilot, which has been primarily using OpenAI for the new AI features across its suite of applications like Word and Outlook. Microsoft, a key financial backer for OpenAI, has been seeking to reduce its reliance on the startup and is developing its own AI models, while also integrating models from China's DeepSeek into its Azure cloud platform. Earlier this year, Microsoft said it would offer new AI models made by companies including Elon Musk's xAI and Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab hosted in its own data centers. Anthropic's AI models are primarily hosted on Amazon Web Services (AMZN.O), opens new tab, a rival to Microsoft's cloud business. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Microsoft adds Claude models to Copilot 365

That report from a few weeks ago was spot-on. As The Information's sources tipped, Microsoft 365 Copilot is adding Anthropic's AI models. Microsoft announced today that Claude access is now rolling out for beta testers. For starters, it's being integrated into Copilot's Researcher and its agent development tool. "Copilot will continue to be powered by OpenAI's latest models," Microsoft's announcement was quick to stress. Following that report from earlier this month, it was easy to imagine growing tensions between the two. It didn't help that the story came on the heels of reports of uneasy negotiations between the pair. Whether or not there's anything to that, OpenAI models like GPT-5 still fuel most of Copilot... for now. But Microsoft 365's Researcher now allows testers to use Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.1. Copilot's reasoning tool launched earlier this year. It's designed to help you "tackle complex, multistep research." Microsoft posted the brief video below. It shows a new "Try Claude" button in the upper-right corner of the research agent's interface. Copilot Studio, Microsoft's AI agent dev tool, offers similar functionality. There, a drop-down menu lets you choose between OpenAI's and Anthropic's models. Anthropic integration is currently rolling out through Microsoft's Frontier program. (That's its optional beta program for AI previews.) After signing up, you'll need to opt in to use Anthropic. This will all presumably roll out to the wider public later. This won't be the end of Copilot's Anthropic integration. "Anthropic models will bring even more powerful experiences to Microsoft 365 Copilot," Microsoft's Charles Lamanna teased.

Microsoft adds Anthropic AI model to Copilot assistant, diversifying from OpenAI

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks during an event celebrating Microsoft's 50th anniversary in Redmond, Wash., on April 4, 2025. Microsoft is the lead investor in OpenAI and has long been the artificial intelligence startup's key cloud partner. But in the latest sign that AI relationships are getting complicated, Microsoft is beginning to use more technology from OpenAI rival Anthropic. The software giant said Wednesday that it's starting to draw on an AI model from Anthropic to answer some queries in the Microsoft 365 Copilot assistant for commercial clients. The effort represents another step toward diversification in generative AI for Microsoft, which has mainly relied on OpenAI models for artificial intelligence features in Bing, Windows and other products. As part of a strategic partnership, Microsoft has invested more than $13 billion in OpenAI, and OpenAI operates its models in the Azure cloud, among other places. OpenAI has been busy expanding its roster of high-powered partners. In recent weeks, the company has disclosed that it plans to spend $300 billion with Oracle, and it's forged a $10 billion agreement with chip designer Broadcom. This week, chipmaker Nvidia said it will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI as part of a joint effort to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on new data centers. Microsoft and OpenAI remain close, but their arrangement is changing. Last year, Microsoft said it was allowing software engineers to get coding help from Anthropic and Google models in the GitHub Copilot Chat assistant, and not just from OpenAI. Anthropic, founded in 2021 by former OpenAI executives, was recently valued by investors at $183 billion. Microsoft remains the exclusive cloud supplier for OpenAI's programming interface that third-party applications rely on. Anthropic's model is coming first to Researcher, an agent for Microsoft 365 Copilot that can gather and analyze information and generate reports. Employees at organizations enrolled in Microsoft's Frontier program, which provides early access to AI features, can now choose to use Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.1 reasoning model, a type of model that's designed to break down complex tasks, as an alternative to OpenAI's competitive offering in Researcher. "And stay tuned: Anthropic models will bring even more powerful experiences to Microsoft 365 Copilot," Charles Lamanna, Microsoft's president of business and industry Copilot, wrote in a blog post. Corporate users can now opt to tap Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 when building their own AI agents with Microsoft's Copilot Studio tool. Administrators must enable Anthropic models before employees can use them. The models run in the Amazon and Google clouds. Their use is subject to Anthropic's terms and conditions, Lamanna wrote. In addition to incorporating large language models from more companies, Microsoft has started testing MAI-1-preview, which it built in-house. "As AI becomes more capable and agentic, models themselves become more of a commodity," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote in an October LinkedIn post. Last year, Microsoft identified OpenAI and Anthropic as competitors in AI products. The Information reported on Microsoft's Copilot plans with Anthropic earlier in September. Copilot is key to Microsoft's AI strategy. "It continues to be rolled out among enterprises in phases," analysts at KeyBanc wrote in a July note to clients. The analysts, who recommend holding the stock, wrote that based on an "industry check," about 60% of customers are "implementing Copilot for just 10% of their 365 user base," and just 4% roll it out for every user.

Microsoft adds Anthropic's Claude AI models to 365 Copilot as OpenAI relationship evolves

Anthropic's Claude models will be available as an option in Microsoft 365 Copilot as part of an expansion of the Redmond company's AI platform for business users. The news, announced Wednesday morning, comes as Microsoft and OpenAI rework the terms of their partnership and collaborate with other key players across the tech industry. The Claude integration is a departure from Microsoft's previous reliance on a combination of OpenAI's GPT models and its own AI technology to power its productivity tools. The approach is "all about bringing the best AI from across the industry to Copilot, tuned for work and tailored to every business," wrote Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a post on X. Earlier this week, OpenAI announced an investment of up to $100 billion from Nvidia. Microsoft has been OpenAI's biggest investor to this point. A source familiar with the situation told GeekWire that Microsoft supported the Nvidia investment and was not surprised by it, despite a report by CNBC that Microsoft was only informed about it the day before it was signed. Microsoft 365 Copilot is the company's business-focused AI assistant, also embedded in tools such as Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. It's distinct from the consumer-facing Copilot available in Windows or Bing, with features for workplace productivity and enterprise data. Microsoft's Anthropic rollout is starting with the Researcher agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot, which can now run on Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.1 in addition to OpenAI's models, according to a Microsoft post detailing the integrations. Claude models will also be available in Copilot Studio, Microsoft's tool for creating and managing custom AI agents. Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that Anthropic's Claude Code would be available as part of Microsoft's GitHub Copilot autonomous coding agent, in addition to OpenAI's Codex agent. The company also announced plans to offer Grok 3 and Grok 3 Mini, developed by Elon Musk's xAI, via Microsoft's Azure AI Foundry AI platform.

Microsoft 365 users can now choose between ChatGPT and Claude for their AI needs

Microsoft has added Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 to the selection available for Copilot users, marking a major shift as it pivots away from exclusively offering OpenAI models. Anthropic's models will be available across two areas at first - a new 'Try Claude' button appears in the researcher agent experience, and will also be available in Copilot Studio, where users can opt for Claude models to help with building custom AI agents. Business & Industry Copilot President Charles Lamanna announced the change in a blog post, noting Microsoft's "commitment to bring the best AI innovation from across the industry" to Copilot. Claude models have started rolling out to users on the Frontier program, Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio users can opt in, but there is a key difference between the Anthropic and OpenAI offerings. Anthropic's models will not be hosted on Azure, but rather they will be accessed via an API and hosted on AWS infrastructure. Though it marks a shift for consumer and enterprise models within the Microsoft ecosystem, developers have already had access to other models, and indeed GitHub Copilot in VS Code recently started favoring Claude Sonnet 4 over OpenAI models. With Claude outperforming OpenAI models in Excel and PowerPoint tasks, it could just be a matter of time before alternatives start to become available within Microsoft's productivity suite. "This is just the beginning," Lamanna said. "And stay tuned: Anthropic models will bring even more powerful experiences to Microsoft 365 Copilot." All of this comes after OpenAI and Microsoft parted ways. Once exclusive partners, OpenAI has now signed up with Google Cloud and others for compute, so it was only natural that Microsoft would begin using other AI models too.

Microsoft Is Adding Anthropic's Claude to Its AI Tools. Here's What It Can Do For Businesses

Microsoft is expanding the lineup of AI models used to power 365 Copilot, its workplace-focused AI service. The move is a sign that Microsoft is actively working to lessen its reliance on OpenAI's models after investing over $10 billion in the company. In its blog post announcing the news, Microsoft said that while 365 Copilot will continue to be primarily powered by OpenAI's models, users will now be able to harness Anthropic's models in two specific ways. One is in Researcher, a 365 Copilot feature that searches the internet and analyzes internal data like emails, Teams chats, and files, in order to conduct deep research. Normally, Researcher runs on models developed by OpenAI, but 365 Copilot customers will now have the option of using Claude's Opus 4.1 model (the company's most advanced model currently available) instead. Microsoft said that Opus 4.1 in Researcher could be used to accomplish tasks like "building a detailed go-to-market strategy, analyzing emerging product trends, or creating a comprehensive quarterly report." The other method for using Claude in 365 Copilot is within Copilot Studio, a feature that enables users to build customized AI agents that can automate workflows. Users will now be able to easily select Claude Opus 4.1 or Claude Sonnet 4 (Anthropic's mid-sized model) when creating agents. Microsoft says users will even be able to orchestrate whole teams of agents, all powered by different AI models, to work in tandem in order to accomplish tasks.

Microsoft Expands Beyond OpenAI as It Adds Anthropic's AI Models to Copilot

The move comes a week after OpenAI and Microsoft signed the new deal Microsoft announced the expansion of model choice in Copilot on Wednesday with the addition of Anthropic's artificial intelligence (AI) models. This is the first time the Redmond-based tech giant has used a non-OpenAI model to power its chatbot. The company is adding Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 as new options for users. Initially, these Anthropic models will only power the Researcher agent and the Microsoft Copilot Studio. Interestingly, the move occurred just a week after the Windows maker and OpenAI signed a non-binding deal. Copilot Will Now Let Users Access Claude AI Models In a blog post, the tech giant announced the expansion of Microsoft 365 Copilot, the umbrella system that houses a wide range of AI applications across the company's products, as well as the Copilot chatbot. The company specified that despite new Anthropic models powering some features, access to the latest OpenAI models will continue. As part of this expansion, users will now be able to use the Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 in some agentic applications. The two features which are available right now are the Researcher agent and the Copilot Studio. Microsoft's Researcher is a reasoning agent that can provide answers to complex queries. Due to its access to the Internet, users can use it to analyse live trends, create reports, prepare product strategies, or just conduct research on a niche subject area. It can also access any files uploaded, emails, chats, meetings, files, and more to deliver the final output. After users opt-in for Anthropic's models, they will be able to switch between Claude and OpenAI models with a model switcher button. Copilot Studio allows users to create and customise task-specific AI agents that can be connected to other knowledge hubs and systems for workflow automation, reasoning, and other agentic tasks. Users can also create multiagent systems and prompt tools using the Copilot Studio. So far, the Microsoft Copilot Studio allows users to choose between models from OpenAI or Azure Model Catalog, but now users will also be able to select Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1. To make the selection, users can tap on a drop down menu located at the top right of the page.

Microsoft brings Anthropic AI models to 365 Copilot, diversifies beyond OpenAI - The Economic Times

Microsoft said on Wednesday it will integrate artificial intelligence models from Anthropic into its Copilot assistant, signaling the software giant's push to reduce dependence on its high-profile partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI. While Copilot will remain powered by OpenAI's latest models, users will be able to select Anthropic models, Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1, in Copilot's AI-powered reasoning agent "Researcher," as well as when developing agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio. Starting Wednesday, users who opt in to try Claude can switch between OpenAI and Anthropic models in Researcher, said Charles Lamanna, president of Microsoft's business and industry Copilot operations. The move marks a shift for Microsoft Copilot, which has been primarily using OpenAI for the new AI features across its suite of applications like Word and Outlook. Microsoft, a key financial backer for OpenAI, has been seeking to reduce its reliance on the startup and is developing its own AI models, while also integrating models from China's DeepSeek into its Azure cloud platform. Earlier this year, Microsoft said it would offer new AI models made by companies including Elon Musk's xAI and Meta Platforms hosted in its own data centers. Anthropic's AI models are primarily hosted on Amazon Web Services, a rival to Microsoft's cloud business.

Microsoft Turns to Anthropic in Shift From OpenAI Relationship | PYMNTS.com

For example, there's Microsoft's announcement that it has begun employing an AI model from Anthropic to answer questions in the Microsoft 365 Copilot assistant for commercial customers. The report noted this marks another step toward diversification in Microsoft generative AI efforts, which have largely involved using OpenAI models for AI features in its Windows operating system and Bing search engine. The partnership has seen Microsoft invest upwards of $13 billion in OpenAI, with OpenAI operating its models in Microsoft's Azure cloud. The companies have an agreement to share revenue until 2030. The deal ties the investment to the development of "at least 10 gigawatts of Nvidia systems for OpenAI's next-generation AI infrastructure to train and run its next generation of models on the path to deploying superintelligence," according to the company's announcement. The deal is the largest private-company investment on record, assuming Nvidia invests the full $100 billion. "The investment gives OpenAI capital and the secured supply of the hardware it needs to continue scaling," PYMNTS wrote.

Microsoft adds Anthropic AI models to Copilot assistant By Investing.com

Investing.com -- Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) will begin using artificial intelligence models from Anthropic to power its workplace AI assistant, adding a significant partner to its Copilot product that has primarily been driven by OpenAI. Starting Wednesday, business users of Microsoft's Copilot-branded AI assistant can toggle between OpenAI and Anthropic models for specific functions, including digital research assistance and building customized AI tools. This move represents another step toward Microsoft's diversification in generative AI. The tech giant has mainly relied on OpenAI models for artificial intelligence features. Company administrators must enable the Anthropic models before employees can use them. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Microsoft is opening Copilot to Anthropic models, beyond OpenAI

On Wednesday,Microsoft announced the integration of Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.1 model into its Microsoft 365 Copilot suite, offering businesses the choice between OpenAI and Anthropic models for certain features. The option will first be available in Researcher, an agent responsible for collecting and analyzing data, and will be offered to Frontier program customers. Copilot Studio, the tool for creating custom agents, already supports the Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1 models. This expansion marks an important step for Microsoft, which, while remaining OpenAI's main investor and exclusive cloud partner, is seeking to diversify its AI ecosystem. Anthropic's models will run on Amazon and Google infrastructure, with optional activation by IT administrators. Microsoft had already tested the integration of Anthropic models into GitHub Copilot and is simultaneously developing its own internal model, MAI-1-preview. This opening comes as OpenAI expands its industrial partnerships, with major agreements signed with Oracle, Broadcom, and Nvidia. For Microsoft, which sees Copilot as a strategic pillar of enterprise AI, the challenge is to support its still limited adoption: according to KeyBanc, only 4% of customers use it on a large scale, with the majority limiting themselves to limited deployments. This strategy confirms Satya Nadella's vision that AI models are becoming interchangeable, serving increasingly autonomous applications.

Microsoft brings Anthropic AI models to 365 Copilot, diversifies beyond OpenAI

(Reuters) -Microsoft said on Wednesday it will integrate artificial intelligence models from Anthropic into its Copilot assistant, signaling the software giant's push to reduce dependence on its high-profile partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI. While Copilot will remain powered by OpenAI's latest models, users will be able to select Anthropic models, Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1, in Copilot's AI-powered reasoning agent "Researcher," as well as when developing agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio. Starting Wednesday, users who opt in to try Claude can switch between OpenAI and Anthropic models in Researcher, said Charles Lamanna, president of Microsoft's business and industry Copilot operations. The move marks a shift for Microsoft Copilot, which has been primarily using OpenAI for the new AI features across its suite of applications like Word and Outlook. Microsoft, a key financial backer for OpenAI, has been seeking to reduce its reliance on the startup and is developing its own AI models, while also integrating models from China's DeepSeek into its Azure cloud platform. Earlier this year, Microsoft said it would offer new AI models made by companies including Elon Musk's xAI and Meta Platforms hosted in its own data centers. Anthropic's AI models are primarily hosted on Amazon Web Services, a rival to Microsoft's cloud business. (Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

Microsoft integrates Anthropic's Claude models into Copilot for enterprises: All details

Analysts see this as part of Microsoft's multi-partner AI strategy to strengthen Copilot. Microsoft is now deepening its collaboration with Anthropic, OpenAI's main competitor, by directly integrating the company's AI models into Copilot. The move, which goes into effect this week, adds another layer to Microsoft's growing portfolio of AI partnerships and marks a gradual shift away from its once-exclusive reliance on OpenAI. Previously, Copilot relied primarily on OpenAI technology, but with this update, enterprise users will be able to choose from a variety of options, including Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.1 and Claude Sonnet 4, depending on the task at hand. Opus 4.1 is designed for heavy-duty tasks like complex reasoning, advanced coding, and system architecture, whereas Sonnet 4 is intended for more routine tasks like large-scale data handling, content generation, and development workflows. "Starting today, Anthropic models are rolling out alongside OpenAI models in Microsoft Copilot Studio. With the choice of Anthropic and OpenAI models for orchestration, chat, and deep reasoning scenarios in Copilot Studio, you have greater flexibility in how you design and optimize agents and workflows to transform business processes," the company stated in its blog post. Also read: Google confirms Android laptops are coming: Here's what we know so far The addition comes after a recent agreement to integrate Anthropicá AI into Microsoft's Office 365 suite, which includes Word, Excel, and Outlook. Microsoft is now collaborating with Anthropic on enterprise products, indicating a clear intent to diversify Copilot's underlying AI engines, giving businesses more flexibility in developing custom tools and agents. Analysts say the decision reflects a larger trend: as AI adoption grows, companies like Microsoft are spreading their bets across multiple providers rather than relying on a single partner. This diversification may alter how Copilot evolves in the competitive AI assistant market.