Microsoft will pay Anthropic to integrate its AI technology into Office 365 apps. The move means that new features in Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint will now run on Anthropic’s AI alongside OpenAI’s technology, meaning Microsoft will no longer be working exclusively with ChatGPT’s creator for its office suite.
Microsoft will pay Anthropic to integrate its AI technology into Office 365 apps. The move means that new features in Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint will now run on Anthropic’s AI alongside OpenAI’s technology, meaning Microsoft will no longer be working exclusively with ChatGPT’s creator for its office suite.
This step should not be considered a negotiating tactic, The Information reports , citing its own sources.
Microsoft executives believe that Anthropic's latest models, particularly Claude Sonnet 4, perform better than OpenAI's models in certain functions, such as creating more visually appealing PowerPoint presentations.
“As we’ve said before, OpenAI will continue to be our partner in advanced models, and we remain committed to our long-term partnership,” Microsoft spokesman Michael Collins said in a statement to TechCrunch.
However, this is not the first time Microsoft has expanded its reach. While OpenAI is the default model, Microsoft offers other models, such as Grok from xAI and Claude from Anthropic, through GitHub Copilot. Microsoft also recently introduced its first two proprietary models : MAI–Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is also seeking to break away from Microsoft’s influence. Last week, the company announced a job platform to compete with Microsoft’s LinkedIn. OpenAI will also begin mass-producing its first AI chips in partnership with Broadcom in 2026. The move will allow OpenAI to train and run its models on its own hardware, reducing its reliance on Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.
