Microsoft Brings GPT-5.6 to Microsoft 365 Copilot

As OpenAI released GPT-5.6 yesterday, Microsoft confirmed that the newest AI model is available in Microsoft 365 Copilot. The rollout started yesterday, which means the latest OpenAI model is now available to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Copilot Chat, and Copilot Cowork.

Rather than treating GPT-5.6 as a standalone upgrade, Microsoft says it has worked closely with OpenAI to optimize the model specifically for Microsoft 365. The company says GPT-5.6 has been customized for knowledge work, which allows Copilot to handle more complex, multi-step tasks while delivering stronger results across Microsoft’s productivity apps.

In Word, users can expect Copilot to produce better structured drafts, improve writing flow, and transform rough notes into more polished documents with less manual editing. Excel is also receiving a boost, with GPT-5.6 helping Copilot reason through complicated datasets and perform more advanced analysis before presenting actionable insights.

PowerPoint benefits from the upgrade as well. According to Microsoft, Copilot can now generate richer presentation drafts with improved slide layouts, stronger visual balance, and more complete content, reducing the amount of work required before a presentation is ready to share.

That’s not all; GPT-5.6 is also powering Copilot Chat, where Microsoft says the model handles ambiguous requests more effectively by comparing options, building structured plans, and solving more complicated workplace problems. Meanwhile, Copilot Cowork gains stronger agentic capabilities, allowing it to carry out multi-step workflows across files and connected business tools instead of simply generating recommendations.

Once GPT-5.6 reaches an organization, Copilot may automatically switch to the new model whenever Microsoft determines it is the best fit for a task. For customers with model selection enabled, GPT-5.6 can also be chosen manually from the model picker.