A Bloomberg report suggested Microsoft is shifting to internal MAI models to reduce costs. OpenAI’s announcement seeks to clarify who will run Copilot for Microsoft 365.
According to Bloomberg, Microsoft is partially replacing OpenAI software with its own internal models to reduce costs. These internal models, known as MAI, are increasingly used to support Word and Excel applications, the publication noted.
The article raised questions about two companies that were once considered inseparable, but are now sending conflicting signals about the state of the partnership: are they diverging?
Now OpenAI is trying to dispel the speculation about a breakup. At the launch of GPT 5.6 on Thursday, the company announced that it would become the preferred model that would power Copilot for Microsoft 365.
In the OpenAI blog, it states that GPT 5.6 will support Microsoft users across the entire suite of productivity applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Copilot.
Our partnership with Microsoft has always been about delivering the benefits of cutting-edge AI to a broader audience of people and organizations, and we are pleased to continue developing this shared commitment.
– OpenAI
Although the precise definition of the preferred-model status is not provided, it is known only that OpenAI software continues to support Microsoft products, and the company increasingly relies on its own solutions to reduce costs. The announcement does not contradict previous messages regarding the use of third-party software and does not indicate a cessation of using ChatGPT within Microsoft.