OpenAI names GPT 5.6 'preferred model' for Microsoft Copilot
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- OpenAI launched GPT 5.6 on Thursday and named it the "preferred model" powering Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- GPT 5.6 will support Microsoft users across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Cowork, per OpenAI's blog post.
- Bloomberg reported earlier this week that Microsoft was swapping some OpenAI software for in-house "MAI" models to cut costs.
- Microsoft's MAI models were already handling Word and Excel workloads with increasing frequency, per Bloomberg.
- The "preferred model" designation's practical scope was left undefined beyond OpenAI's software continuing to power Microsoft apps, and does not negate Bloomberg's earlier cost-cutting reporting.
- OpenAI framed the relationship as ongoing, writing that the partnership "has always been about bringing the benefits of advanced AI to more individuals and organizations."
Why it matters: OpenAI's 'preferred model' label leaves Microsoft's documented pivot to cheaper in-house MAI models fully intact, meaning enterprise customers on Microsoft 365 shouldn't assume OpenAI powers every workflow. For OpenAI, the announcement functions as a public reassurance that the enterprise pipeline hasn't broken, even as the practical scope remains opaque.
