Microsoft Expands AI Technology in Copilot with Anthropic Integration

Microsoft is advancing its ambitions in the field of artificial intelligence and has announced plans to integrate AI models from Anthropic into its Copilot assistants. This strategic decision signals the software giant's desire to reduce dependence on its partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. While OpenAI continues to provide the latest models for Copilot, users now have the option to choose Anthropic models Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.1. These models can be used in Copilot's "Researcher," the AI-based reasoning agent, as well as in the development of agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio. This innovation now allows users to switch between models from OpenAI and Anthropic in the Researcher, according to Charles Lamanna, President of Microsoft’s Business and Industry Copilot Operations. This development represents a shift for Microsoft Copilot, which has primarily relied on OpenAI models for its new AI features in applications such as Word and Outlook. Despite Microsoft’s significant financial support for OpenAI, the tech company is now pursuing a diversification strategy, developing its own AI models and integrating those from China’s DeepSeek into its Azure cloud platform. Earlier this year, Microsoft had already announced plans to offer new AI models from companies such as Elon Musk's xAI and Meta Platforms in its data centers. Notably, Anthropic's AI models are primarily hosted on Amazon Web Services, a direct competitor to Microsoft’s cloud business.