Microsoft's Copilot may stand as one of its most high-stakes forays into artificial intelligence, yet it faces a significant perception gap in a field increasingly dominated by OpenAI's ChatGPT. Even with a multi-billion-dollar partnership binding Microsoft and OpenAI at the hip, the two companies are grappling with intense competitive pressure, rising user expectations, and questions about who will ultimately own the workplace AI market. As Copilot tries to assert itself as the enterprise-grade AI assistant of choice, mounting evidence suggests that users—ranging from everyday consumers to Fortune 500 firms—are gravitating toward ChatGPT for its superior ease of use, speed, and research capabilities. This feature dives deep into the Copilot vs. ChatGPT showdown, critically examining why Microsoft’s biggest AI play is struggling to convert its colossal investment into clear user preference, where it still outshines the competition, and what the future may hold for Microsoft's generative AI ambitions.
Microsoft’s alliance with OpenAI was once heralded as the ultimate “tech bromance.” The partnership, which saw Microsoft pour over $14 billion into OpenAI by 2024, formed the backbone of its AI push—powering everything from Azure’s enterprise offerings to Copilot’s smart suggestions in Microsoft 365. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, has repeatedly underlined the company’s strategy: let OpenAI break ground in AI models, and fine-tune the best technology to deliver secure, business-ready experiences to customers.
But as OpenAI began to pivot toward a more aggressive, for-profit model—with high-profile initiatives like the $500 billion Stargate data center project and persistent rumors of outside investor pressure—the relationship began to strain. Behind the public demonstrations of unity, OpenAI reportedly complained that Microsoft wasn’t meeting its escalating cloud compute needs, while Microsoft countered that OpenAI’s flagship GPT-4 model was too expensive and slow for seamless integration into Microsoft 365 products.
This tension has real-world consequences for Microsoft’s customers. According to reports, flagship OpenAI features often reach ChatGPT users weeks before they trickle down into Copilot, thanks to Microsoft’s intensive review and security vetting processes. While this safeguards customer data, it cedes the “first-mover” advantage—a crucial factor in today’s breakneck AI product cycles. In the words of Jared Spataro, head of Microsoft workplace AI: “Not every change being made to the [OpenAI] models is net positive,” signaling a delicate balance between innovation and reliability.
Yet, these technical distinctions are not resonating in the market. Microsoft’s own customers, such as pharmaceutical giant Amgen, initially pledged to roll out 20,000 Copilot licenses in an early sign of faith in the platform. Just over a year later, however, Amgen pivoted, telling Bloomberg that it now prefers ChatGPT based on employee feedback, particularly lauding its performance in summarizing scientific documentation and conducting research.
The core issue? As Amgen’s Senior VP Sean Bruich put it: “OpenAI has done a tremendous job making their product fun to use.” While he described Copilot as “pretty important”—especially for integration with Outlook and Teams—there is a prevailing sense that Copilot’s main value comes not from raw capabilities, but from its seamless fit within Microsoft’s productivity ecosystem. For standalone AI needs, ChatGPT is winning hearts and minds.
Microsoft has been candid about its reach, highlighting that almost “70% of the Fortune 500 now use Microsoft 365 Copilot” and an estimated three million paid business licenses are active. While this is nothing to scoff at—demonstrating strong initial enterprise traction—it pales in comparison to the viral, grassroots popularity of ChatGPT. OpenAI’s product isn’t just popular; it’s becoming synonymous with “AI chatbot,” in much the same way “Google” became synonymous with search.
In an effort to close this gap, Microsoft recently rolled out Copilot Academy, a dedicated training hub aimed at teaching users how to craft better prompts and unlock Copilot’s full potential. While such resources may help, there's an uncomfortable truth: if a product requires an “academy” to operate at a baseline level, is it truly intuitive enough for mass adoption?
Jared Spataro has argued that this fine-tuning for business use is what distinguishes Copilot: “Our sweet spot is to identify and integrate the best technology available, and further fine-tune it for business use.” In regulated industries like healthcare, finance, and government, Copilot’s ability to inherit Microsoft 365’s access controls and privacy policies is a compelling value proposition.
However, these strengths come with trade-offs. The very processes that ensure Copilot’s security also impose friction and slow the arrival of the latest and greatest OpenAI features. Furthermore, Copilot’s deeply integrated nature means it is most valuable to customers already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. For everyone else, the lower-friction, always-updated ChatGPT is simply more appealing.
Microsoft’s approach, according to AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, is straightforward: “play a close second” to OpenAI while investing in the development of proprietary frontier AI models. He confessed that Microsoft is “three to six months” behind OpenAI in model sophistication, but intends to close the gap in the coming year. Notably, Microsoft has signaled that it won’t always rely on OpenAI’s models and is pushing hard to build internal AI muscle. This dual-track approach is designed to hedge against future schisms in the partnership.
A case in point: Microsoft’s reported bailout from two planned data center deals intended to support additional ChatGPT training. OpenAI’s Sam Altman claims the company is “no longer compute-constrained,” yet both firms continue to downplay each other’s role in public statements.
This tension is further compounded by disputes about product rollouts. Microsoft frequently waits to scrutinize new OpenAI features, balancing security with user demand, while OpenAI wants to push the envelope—and productize features for mass adoption—at Internet speed.
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, even speculated that Microsoft might “not use OpenAI’s tech in the future,” though such pronouncements should be treated cautiously; as of today, Microsoft has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to deep partnership, buttressed by an $80 billion investment in Azure aimed at AI innovation.
Microsoft’s own data suggests millions have paid for Copilot business licenses, but independent surveys and web analytics paint a more nuanced picture: sustained engagement and daily active usage still lag far behind OpenAI’s chatbot.
Complicating matters, Microsoft’s attempts to shift blame for underwhelming user outcomes toward “poor prompt engineering” can sound tone-deaf, especially compared to ChatGPT’s out-of-the-box immediacy.
Whether Copilot can shed its reputation as a pragmatic but uninspiring enterprise add-on—and become an indispensable productivity co-pilot for workers of all kinds—will depend on bold product decisions in the months ahead. The ultimate winner in this story will be the company, or partnership, that delivers the full promise of AI: fast iteration, deep personalization, ironclad security, and, yes, a little bit of fun.
The relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI has propelled both to the vanguard of AI. Yet as their partnership frays under competitive and financial pressures, the market’s next shift could come fast and unexpectedly. Whether Copilot cements its place as the trusted AI ally of the world’s largest organizations, or cedes ground to more agile rivals, will be one of the defining sagas of enterprise technology.
For IT strategists, technology buyers, and power users, the lesson is to stay nimble, prioritize flexibility, and, above all, keep a close eye on where the world’s best AI models and freshest innovations are actually being delivered—not simply where the biggest bets have been placed.
Source: Windows Central Microsoft Copilot is "pretty important" but customers still prefer ChatGPT — "OpenAI has done a tremendous job"
The Origins of a Tech "Bromance"—and the First Signs of Tension
Microsoft’s alliance with OpenAI was once heralded as the ultimate “tech bromance.” The partnership, which saw Microsoft pour over $14 billion into OpenAI by 2024, formed the backbone of its AI push—powering everything from Azure’s enterprise offerings to Copilot’s smart suggestions in Microsoft 365. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, has repeatedly underlined the company’s strategy: let OpenAI break ground in AI models, and fine-tune the best technology to deliver secure, business-ready experiences to customers.But as OpenAI began to pivot toward a more aggressive, for-profit model—with high-profile initiatives like the $500 billion Stargate data center project and persistent rumors of outside investor pressure—the relationship began to strain. Behind the public demonstrations of unity, OpenAI reportedly complained that Microsoft wasn’t meeting its escalating cloud compute needs, while Microsoft countered that OpenAI’s flagship GPT-4 model was too expensive and slow for seamless integration into Microsoft 365 products.
This tension has real-world consequences for Microsoft’s customers. According to reports, flagship OpenAI features often reach ChatGPT users weeks before they trickle down into Copilot, thanks to Microsoft’s intensive review and security vetting processes. While this safeguards customer data, it cedes the “first-mover” advantage—a crucial factor in today’s breakneck AI product cycles. In the words of Jared Spataro, head of Microsoft workplace AI: “Not every change being made to the [OpenAI] models is net positive,” signaling a delicate balance between innovation and reliability.
The Product Dilemma: Copilot, ChatGPT, and a Crisis of Differentiation
Outwardly, Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT appear remarkably similar: both are powered by the same family of large language models, both offer advanced natural language capabilities, and both are positioned as digital assistants for research, ideation, and productivity. But as Microsoft Teams lead Jeff Taper openly admitted, there’s little functional daylight between them—except that Copilot is “better secured” and offers “a more powerful user experience” within the Microsoft 365 suite.Yet, these technical distinctions are not resonating in the market. Microsoft’s own customers, such as pharmaceutical giant Amgen, initially pledged to roll out 20,000 Copilot licenses in an early sign of faith in the platform. Just over a year later, however, Amgen pivoted, telling Bloomberg that it now prefers ChatGPT based on employee feedback, particularly lauding its performance in summarizing scientific documentation and conducting research.
The core issue? As Amgen’s Senior VP Sean Bruich put it: “OpenAI has done a tremendous job making their product fun to use.” While he described Copilot as “pretty important”—especially for integration with Outlook and Teams—there is a prevailing sense that Copilot’s main value comes not from raw capabilities, but from its seamless fit within Microsoft’s productivity ecosystem. For standalone AI needs, ChatGPT is winning hearts and minds.
A Stark Popularity Gap: By the Numbers
If user traffic is any indication, Microsoft has a clear challenge on its hands. In February 2025, ChatGPT saw a staggering 173.3 million daily visits in the U.S. alone, massively outpacing Copilot’s 98.9 million monthly visits—a differential of more than 52x. Such figures, first reported in April and echoed across third-party analytics, throw the magnitude of ChatGPT's lead into stark relief.Microsoft has been candid about its reach, highlighting that almost “70% of the Fortune 500 now use Microsoft 365 Copilot” and an estimated three million paid business licenses are active. While this is nothing to scoff at—demonstrating strong initial enterprise traction—it pales in comparison to the viral, grassroots popularity of ChatGPT. OpenAI’s product isn’t just popular; it’s becoming synonymous with “AI chatbot,” in much the same way “Google” became synonymous with search.
User Frustration and the “Prompt Engineering” Debate
Microsoft has not been deaf to the complaints swirling around Copilot. According to industry insiders, the most frequently reported gripe from users is blunt: “Copilot isn’t as good as ChatGPT.” Microsoft’s internal response has sometimes verged on defensive, attributing the issue to improper prompt engineering rather than underlying model differences. Statements to the effect of, “you’re just not using it as intended,” have left some customers frustrated, questioning whether Copilot could ever achieve the simplicity and directness that made ChatGPT a household name.In an effort to close this gap, Microsoft recently rolled out Copilot Academy, a dedicated training hub aimed at teaching users how to craft better prompts and unlock Copilot’s full potential. While such resources may help, there's an uncomfortable truth: if a product requires an “academy” to operate at a baseline level, is it truly intuitive enough for mass adoption?
Security, Integration, and Microsoft’s “Superpower”
Even Copilot’s harshest critics concede one important point: when it comes to data security, compliance, and deep integration with business workflows, Microsoft still commands an edge. This “superpower” stems from its DNA as a provider of enterprise-grade technology. Copilot’s access to documents, emails, meeting notes, and calendar appointments—coupled with Microsoft’s robust compliance architecture—lets it offer context-sensitive recommendations and autofill work tasks that generic chatbots simply cannot touch.Jared Spataro has argued that this fine-tuning for business use is what distinguishes Copilot: “Our sweet spot is to identify and integrate the best technology available, and further fine-tune it for business use.” In regulated industries like healthcare, finance, and government, Copilot’s ability to inherit Microsoft 365’s access controls and privacy policies is a compelling value proposition.
However, these strengths come with trade-offs. The very processes that ensure Copilot’s security also impose friction and slow the arrival of the latest and greatest OpenAI features. Furthermore, Copilot’s deeply integrated nature means it is most valuable to customers already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. For everyone else, the lower-friction, always-updated ChatGPT is simply more appealing.
The Enterprise Conundrum: Mass Adoption or Niche Player?
The central question facing Microsoft is whether Copilot can leap beyond its natural stronghold of existing Microsoft 365 customers to capture a broader share of the burgeoning AI workspace market. With 70% of the Fortune 500 reportedly using Copilot, the product is far from a flop. Still, this figure requires careful interpretation: in many cases, Copilot is bundled into enterprise contracts, and usage rates within customer organizations vary widely. A spot check across major industries reveals a mixed picture—while enterprises value integration, smaller businesses and individual knowledge workers increasingly default to ChatGPT or other lightweight AI solutions.Microsoft’s approach, according to AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, is straightforward: “play a close second” to OpenAI while investing in the development of proprietary frontier AI models. He confessed that Microsoft is “three to six months” behind OpenAI in model sophistication, but intends to close the gap in the coming year. Notably, Microsoft has signaled that it won’t always rely on OpenAI’s models and is pushing hard to build internal AI muscle. This dual-track approach is designed to hedge against future schisms in the partnership.
A Fraying Partnership? The Business and Technical Implications
Under the hood, the OpenAI-Microsoft alliance is being tested by conflicting business models and strategic priorities. OpenAI’s rush for revenue—spurred by massive infrastructure ambitions and mounting investor pressure—runs counter to Microsoft’s desire to own the enterprise AI layer and sustain a high-margin Azure business.A case in point: Microsoft’s reported bailout from two planned data center deals intended to support additional ChatGPT training. OpenAI’s Sam Altman claims the company is “no longer compute-constrained,” yet both firms continue to downplay each other’s role in public statements.
This tension is further compounded by disputes about product rollouts. Microsoft frequently waits to scrutinize new OpenAI features, balancing security with user demand, while OpenAI wants to push the envelope—and productize features for mass adoption—at Internet speed.
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, even speculated that Microsoft might “not use OpenAI’s tech in the future,” though such pronouncements should be treated cautiously; as of today, Microsoft has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to deep partnership, buttressed by an $80 billion investment in Azure aimed at AI innovation.
Strengths and Risks: A Balanced Appraisal
Copilot’s current strengths are clear:- Enterprise integration: Seamless linkage with Microsoft 365 applications, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and more.
- Security and compliance: World-class data protection, granular access controls, and audit capability—vital for regulated industries.
- Consistent user experience: Predictable, IT-managed rollouts familiar to enterprise customers.
- Perception gap: Despite similar technical underpinnings, Copilot is viewed as a slow, corporate cousin to ChatGPT—burdened by red tape and complexity.
- Feature lag: Delays in access to latest OpenAI innovations frustrate users, especially those who compare Copilot’s capabilities with ChatGPT’s real-time advances.
- Limited appeal beyond Microsoft ecosystem: As a tightly-coupled enterprise product, Copilot struggles to woo users seeking platform-agnostic AI tools.
- Strategic dependency: Microsoft’s heavy reliance on OpenAI remains a vulnerability, particularly as OpenAI shifts toward higher-margin, consumer-facing products.
User Experience: Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Amgen’s decision to switch from Copilot to ChatGPT is instructive. Employees reportedly found ChatGPT’s user experience “significantly improved” and more “fun to use”—hardly damning technical feedback, but devastating in terms of competitive positioning. In the consumer world, “fun,” “fast,” and “frictionless” often trump enterprise-grade bells and whistles.Microsoft’s own data suggests millions have paid for Copilot business licenses, but independent surveys and web analytics paint a more nuanced picture: sustained engagement and daily active usage still lag far behind OpenAI’s chatbot.
Complicating matters, Microsoft’s attempts to shift blame for underwhelming user outcomes toward “poor prompt engineering” can sound tone-deaf, especially compared to ChatGPT’s out-of-the-box immediacy.
The Long View: Can Copilot Catch Up?
Microsoft’s recent strategic pivots suggest it is keenly aware of the urgency. By building in-house AI models, rolling out Copilot Academy, and doubling down on Azure as the world's AI cloud of choice, Microsoft is positioning itself for a world where the AI landscape is increasingly fractured, hyper-competitive, and defined by winner-take-all dynamics.Whether Copilot can shed its reputation as a pragmatic but uninspiring enterprise add-on—and become an indispensable productivity co-pilot for workers of all kinds—will depend on bold product decisions in the months ahead. The ultimate winner in this story will be the company, or partnership, that delivers the full promise of AI: fast iteration, deep personalization, ironclad security, and, yes, a little bit of fun.
Conclusion: The Stakes for Microsoft, OpenAI, and Users
The dust has not settled on the Microsoft Copilot vs. ChatGPT debate. What is clear is that generative AI will define the next era of work, creativity, and human-computer interaction. For now, Microsoft Copilot leads in integration, security, and enterprise adoption—but ChatGPT dominates in popularity, user enthusiasm, and speed of innovation.The relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI has propelled both to the vanguard of AI. Yet as their partnership frays under competitive and financial pressures, the market’s next shift could come fast and unexpectedly. Whether Copilot cements its place as the trusted AI ally of the world’s largest organizations, or cedes ground to more agile rivals, will be one of the defining sagas of enterprise technology.
For IT strategists, technology buyers, and power users, the lesson is to stay nimble, prioritize flexibility, and, above all, keep a close eye on where the world’s best AI models and freshest innovations are actually being delivered—not simply where the biggest bets have been placed.
Source: Windows Central Microsoft Copilot is "pretty important" but customers still prefer ChatGPT — "OpenAI has done a tremendous job"
