Microsoft has just rolled out OpenAI’s newest and smartest AI model, GPT-5, across its Copilot tools. Essentially, Copilot is now faster, sharper, and much better at handling complex work – whether you’re using it for everyday tasks or tackling bigger projects.
Here’s the lowdown from Techcare on what’s changing, and how it affects you.
The key upgrade – GPT-5
Think of GPT-5 as Copilot’s new brain. It can:
- Understand and respond to more complicated questions.
- Stay focused in long conversations (no more “forgetting” what you said five messages ago).
- Give more accurate, relevant answers.
- Work better with context – like pulling information from your emails, documents, or files.
Free Copilot vs Paid Copilot – What’s different now?
Until now, there’s been a big gap between Microsoft’s free Copilot and the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot. With GPT-5, both versions are getting a big boost – but there are still key differences:
Free Microsoft Copilot
- Now runs on GPT-5 in Smart Mode.
- Great for quick help – answering questions, writing text, generating ideas, and even creating images.
- Available at copilot.microsoft.com or via the Copilot app (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS).
Microsoft 365 Copilot (Paid)
- All the above plus deep integration with your work tools.
- Can reason over your emails, Teams chats, Word docs, Excel sheets, and more.
- Perfect for summarising meetings, drafting reports, analysing data, or managing projects directly inside Microsoft 365 apps.
If you’re just testing the waters of AI, the free version is a great start. If you want Copilot to actually do your work alongside you inside Microsoft 365, the paid version is where it shines.
What this means for current Copilot users
If you already use Copilot:
- You’ll instantly notice smarter, more relevant answers.
- Longer, more coherent conversations.
- Better help with tricky, multi-step problems.
If you’re a Microsoft 365 Copilot user:
- Expect stronger document, email, and data handling.
- Easier automation of complex tasks.
- More context-aware responses that save time and reduce errors.
For the Techies
Developers using GitHub Copilot, Visual Studio Code, or Azure AI Foundry now have GPT-5 under the hood too – meaning faster coding help, longer end-to-end task handling, and smarter AI-powered workflows.
Built with safety in mind
Microsoft’s AI safety team has tested GPT-5 extensively to make sure it’s harder to misuse – reducing risks like scams, harmful code generation, and misinformation.
In our opinion…
This is a huge leap forward for AI in Microsoft products. If you’ve been curious about Copilot, now’s the perfect time to try it. The free version is stronger than ever, and the paid version is becoming an even more powerful work partner.
We’re already helping our customers get the most out of Microsoft 365 Copilot, so if you want to see exactly how it could work in your business, give us a shout.
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