Microsoft reportedly testing Copilot’s new ‘smart mode’ ahead of GPT-5 rollout

Microsoft appears to be getting ready for GPT-5, as it is reportedly testing a new “smart mode” in Copilot. This mode is available in both consumer and enterprise versions of the tool, although Microsoft hasn’t publicly confirmed the change.

With Smart Mode, Copilot will automatically switch models to determine the best response. It can choose either with deeper reasoning or faster answers, based on what you’re asking. Internally, Microsoft describes it as choosing “the most relevant model” for better results.

None of the Copilot interfaces mentions GPT-5 directly. But given the imminent launch of GPT-5, it all makes sense. According to reports, OpenAI is expected to launch GPT-5 in early August, and Microsoft typically integrates OpenAI’s new models into Copilot shortly after release.

Last year, Microsoft began using GPT-4 in Bing about six weeks before OpenAI made it official. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans told The Verge that this smart mode feels similar to an internal feature once called “magic mode.”

To catch you up, that mode also focused on adapting automatically without user input. While it’s not clear whether these two are the same under the hood, both point to Microsoft moving toward a more seamless AI experience.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said earlier this year that they were working to eliminate the model picker entirely in favor of a “magic unified intelligence.” Needless to say, the idea isn’t new. GPT-5 is expected to bring that vision closer by folding in the o3 model as part of a single upgrade. If everything stays on track, Copilot’s “smart mode” could roll out publicly not long after GPT-5 drops.