Microsoft’s Copilot has faced a complex road since its introduction into the Windows ecosystem. Despite not capturing overwhelming popularity, it nevertheless carves out a critical niche, offering a surprisingly robust set of AI chatbot features for free—something that sets it apart in the competitive landscape currently defined by various generative AI alternatives. At the core of Copilot’s ingenuity is its integration with OpenAI’s models, particularly through its “Think Deeper” feature, which targets users who require more comprehensive and nuanced responses than those delivered by default quick-reply bots.
Currently, Copilot presents users with two to three different interaction modes, depending on their subscription status. For most, Quick Response serves as the default, utilizing a standard OpenAI model to deliver speedy, surface-level answers. A more sophisticated mode, Think Deeper, harnesses a premium OpenAI reasoning model, traditionally reserved for higher-tier subscriptions or alternative paid services.
Previously, Microsoft confirmed that Think Deeper used OpenAI’s o3-mini-high model. This upgrade, implemented in early 2025, marked a shift toward faster, higher-quality reasoning capabilities, though it still arrived with notable restrictions—most importantly, a knowledge cutoff of October 2023. In comparison, the GPT-4.1 family of models offers more advanced reasoning with a data horizon extending to June 2024, positioning it as the leading edge of current consumer-facing generative AI.
Yet, recent user testing and hands-on investigation suggest a significant evolution is afoot inside Copilot: Microsoft appears to be A/B testing—essentially quietly rolling out—a transition from the o3-mini-high model to the newer o4-mini-high. This detail, confirmed through direct queries within Copilot sessions, hints at a major leap in both the currency of information Copilot can access and the level of cognitive power it offers, possibly for free.
Here’s a breakdown of verified knowledge cutoff dates for OpenAI’s major public models, as of mid-2025:
This table reflects the reality that o3-mini-high is now outpaced and, crucially, no longer offered with ChatGPT Plus, Pro, or Teams/Enterprise. OpenAI’s own transition toward o4-mini-high standardizes higher knowledge coverage for more users, and Microsoft's mirrored rollout in Copilot seems to follow suit.
What’s especially notable in Microsoft’s implementation is that such an advanced model appears to be available at no additional cost in Copilot’s free tier, at least during this A/B test window. OpenAI has typically reserved its freshest, fastest models for paying customers, structuring tiered access to its platform. Microsoft’s decision to remove this paywall—even if only experimentally—could dramatically alter expectations for free AI chatbot offerings and put pressure on competing ecosystems (Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, and others) to follow suit.
Another caveat is performance. More advanced models generally require greater compute resources and may result in longer response times, especially when traffic spikes or when queries require context retention over several conversation turns. Early reports indicate that Copilot’s swap to o4-mini-high is generally seamless in Think Deeper mode, although there may be increases in latency for particularly complex queries. Microsoft’s infrastructure, built atop Azure’s AI supercomputing capabilities, is likely mitigating much of this overhead, but the true global impact will only become clear if and when the A/B test becomes a full deployment.
Industry precedent suggests caution. OpenAI, Google, and other providers usually limit free access to less powerful or less current models, both to contain costs and to incentivize upgrades to paid plans. Microsoft’s deep pockets and its strategy of embedding Copilot into numerous Windows experiences may justify greater subsidization in the short term. However, if Copilot’s user engagement reaches the hundreds of millions, the economics could quickly shift, forcing Microsoft to either roll back the free tier’s capabilities or find creative ways to monetize auxiliary services.
Microsoft’s unique leverage comes from its control over the Windows desktop. By integrating Copilot deeply into the operating system and associated services—Outlook, Office, Edge, and beyond—it can offer persistent value to billions of users, using free access as a hook and subscriptions as the logical up-sell path. This fusion of platform and AI may be unmatched for the foreseeable future.
Looking ahead, several developments could reshape the landscape:
However, users and IT professionals should remain circumspect. The sustainability of this generous model, Microsoft’s handling of privacy and data, and the potential for backsliding into more restrictive policies if usage soars remain unresolved. While the current state of Copilot is a substantial achievement, confirmed only through careful, session-by-session verification and technical experimentation, it’s clear that the AI arms race in free productivity is only just beginning.
For those eager to extract the most value from Copilot, the advice is simple: experiment frequently, monitor changes, and stay informed through direct testing and credible community reporting. As the boundary between paid and unpaid AI continues to blur, and as Microsoft continues to iterate on its Copilot offering, Windows users stand to benefit profoundly—so long as they remain vigilant to the ever-shifting terms of access and engagement.
Source: Windows Latest Test hints Microsoft Copilot may offer ChatGPT's o4-mini-high for free
Currently, Copilot presents users with two to three different interaction modes, depending on their subscription status. For most, Quick Response serves as the default, utilizing a standard OpenAI model to deliver speedy, surface-level answers. A more sophisticated mode, Think Deeper, harnesses a premium OpenAI reasoning model, traditionally reserved for higher-tier subscriptions or alternative paid services.Previously, Microsoft confirmed that Think Deeper used OpenAI’s o3-mini-high model. This upgrade, implemented in early 2025, marked a shift toward faster, higher-quality reasoning capabilities, though it still arrived with notable restrictions—most importantly, a knowledge cutoff of October 2023. In comparison, the GPT-4.1 family of models offers more advanced reasoning with a data horizon extending to June 2024, positioning it as the leading edge of current consumer-facing generative AI.
Yet, recent user testing and hands-on investigation suggest a significant evolution is afoot inside Copilot: Microsoft appears to be A/B testing—essentially quietly rolling out—a transition from the o3-mini-high model to the newer o4-mini-high. This detail, confirmed through direct queries within Copilot sessions, hints at a major leap in both the currency of information Copilot can access and the level of cognitive power it offers, possibly for free.
The Evidence: Verification and Model Cutoff Dates
When interacting with Copilot’s Think Deeper mode, users have noted inconsistent responses regarding its knowledge cutoff date. In some sessions—likely tied to specific Microsoft account statuses or perhaps geolocation—Copilot reports its information as current up to October 2023 (aligning with o3-mini-high). In other cases, however, Copilot acknowledges a June 2024 cutoff, which is only possible if Microsoft has enabled the o4-mini-high model or another model of similar freshness in that session.Here’s a breakdown of verified knowledge cutoff dates for OpenAI’s major public models, as of mid-2025:
| Model | Knowledge Cutoff |
|---|---|
| o3-mini / o3-mini-high | October 1, 2023 |
| o3 | June 1, 2024 |
| o4-mini / o4-mini-high | June 1, 2024 |
| GPT-4.1 Family | June 2024 |
Why Does This Matter? The Impact of Model Upgrades
For users, the benefits of a fresher and more capable model are immediate: better answers, more recent information, and improved accuracy in real-world research or productivity workflows. For example, with a June 2024 cutoff, Copilot can reliably summarize news, software releases, and security events far more current than systems capped in 2023. In markets where information relevance is paramount—think cybersecurity, patch management, or critical regulatory changes—this represents a substantial upgrade.What’s especially notable in Microsoft’s implementation is that such an advanced model appears to be available at no additional cost in Copilot’s free tier, at least during this A/B test window. OpenAI has typically reserved its freshest, fastest models for paying customers, structuring tiered access to its platform. Microsoft’s decision to remove this paywall—even if only experimentally—could dramatically alter expectations for free AI chatbot offerings and put pressure on competing ecosystems (Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, and others) to follow suit.
Technical Barriers and Censorship: The Unspoken Compromises
Yet, Copilot’s integration is not without limits. Even with access to o4-mini-high, user experience is shaped and sometimes constrained by a suite of safeguards and restrictions. Microsoft deploys multiple layers of censorship and content filtering on Copilot sessions, largely as a hedge against generative model risks: misinformation, inappropriate content, or “hallucinated” facts. While these controls are prudent from a legal and reputational standpoint, they do reduce the depth, range, and occasionally the utility of responses—especially when discussing controversial or sensitive topics.Another caveat is performance. More advanced models generally require greater compute resources and may result in longer response times, especially when traffic spikes or when queries require context retention over several conversation turns. Early reports indicate that Copilot’s swap to o4-mini-high is generally seamless in Think Deeper mode, although there may be increases in latency for particularly complex queries. Microsoft’s infrastructure, built atop Azure’s AI supercomputing capabilities, is likely mitigating much of this overhead, but the true global impact will only become clear if and when the A/B test becomes a full deployment.
Parsing the User Experience: Subscription Versus Free Access
Copilot still segments its offerings by subscription. While Quick Response and Think Deeper are available to everyone, a third tier called Deep Research is reserved for Copilot Pro subscribers at $20 per month. This separation raises questions about the sustainability of offering premium-grade models like o4-mini-high for free: will this remain as Copilot’s user base grows, or is it merely a temporary measure to boost engagement and collect telemetry during A/B testing?Industry precedent suggests caution. OpenAI, Google, and other providers usually limit free access to less powerful or less current models, both to contain costs and to incentivize upgrades to paid plans. Microsoft’s deep pockets and its strategy of embedding Copilot into numerous Windows experiences may justify greater subsidization in the short term. However, if Copilot’s user engagement reaches the hundreds of millions, the economics could quickly shift, forcing Microsoft to either roll back the free tier’s capabilities or find creative ways to monetize auxiliary services.
Strengths: What Sets Copilot Apart
- Access to Latest AI: By flirting with open access to o4-mini-high, Copilot is setting an industry benchmark in the democratization of powerful generative AI.
- Integrated Windows Experience: Copilot isn’t just another web-based chatbot—it’s hooked directly into Windows, offering task automation, OS navigation, content summarization, and more, all without launching a browser or separate app.
- Continuous Improvements: Regular updates and real-time A/B testing suggest Microsoft treats Copilot as a living product, rapidly iterating in response to user telemetry and feedback.
- Cost Effectiveness: For freelancers, students, and small businesses, Copilot in its current incarnation significantly reduces the cost of accessing cutting-edge AI without a recurring subscription.
Unresolved Weaknesses and Risks
However, Microsoft’s Copilot approach comes with trade-offs and open questions that deserve scrutiny:- Model Uncertainty: The lack of clear user-facing messaging about which AI model is in use at any time sows confusion. Users can only infer their model (o3-mini-high vs o4-mini-high) by asking about knowledge cutoffs—a workaround, not a feature. Greater transparency would improve trust and predictability.
- Inconsistent Access: As an A/B test, not all users experience the upgraded model equally. This could create disparities in information access and frustrate power users seeking reliable performance.
- Privacy and Telemetry: Microsoft’s Copilot, when embedded in Windows, naturally collects vast quantities of user interaction data. While this enables ongoing product improvement, it also raises privacy and data sovereignty concerns, particularly for enterprise customers and regulated industries.
- Sustainability of Free Access: The move to offer such a powerful AI model for free, even in a limited test, is likely unsustainable without a credible long-term monetization or cost-sharing strategy.
- Heavy Censorship: Ongoing restrictions mean that Copilot’s answers can sometimes be less transparent or comprehensive than those of “raw” OpenAI models, potentially limiting utility for technical or controversial research.
Possible Alternatives and Strategic Context
It’s important to situate Copilot’s evolution within the broader AI competition. Google’s Gemini, Claude by Anthropic, and Meta’s suite of Llama models all offer incrementally different approaches to free and paid AI services. Most competitors either limit free access through aggressive paywalls or maintain significant differences between free and professional tiers, especially in knowledge cutoffs and reasoning ability.Microsoft’s unique leverage comes from its control over the Windows desktop. By integrating Copilot deeply into the operating system and associated services—Outlook, Office, Edge, and beyond—it can offer persistent value to billions of users, using free access as a hook and subscriptions as the logical up-sell path. This fusion of platform and AI may be unmatched for the foreseeable future.
Future Trajectory: What Comes Next?
All signs indicate that Copilot’s use of o4-mini-high is more than a fleeting experiment. If A/B test results continue to justify the costs—whether in improved user retention, engagement, or perceived value—Microsoft could move to make this model broadly available as the new default for Think Deeper. However, any such change will need to balance infrastructure bills, competitive pressures, and the need to maintain distinct offerings for paid subscribers.Looking ahead, several developments could reshape the landscape:
- End of A/B Testing: Microsoft’s ultimate decision on whether to deploy o4-mini-high universally or revert to a paid-only status will set a new standard for what consumers expect from Windows’ built-in AI.
- Deeper Integration: Expect further synergy between Copilot and core Windows features. With the ability to reference fresher data and reason more deeply, Copilot may become essential for managing device security, personalization, and automation.
- Richer Model Transparency: User demand is likely to push Microsoft toward offering clearer identification of active models and their respective capabilities within Copilot sessions.
- Expansion Across Devices: Although initially targeted at desktop users, Copilot—armed with advanced modeling—could drive new value for Windows tablets, IoT devices, and the growing armada of on-the-go productivity tools.
- Continued Industry Shakeup: Microsoft’s gambit places immense pressure on OpenAI, Google, and other incumbents to reconsider how much power, recency, and context they allow in their free tiers—a trend all users should watch closely.
Final Analysis: Critical Takeaways for Windows Enthusiasts
Microsoft Copilot’s possible transition to the o4-mini-high model, especially in a free tier, is a pivotal story in the ongoing democratization of AI productivity tools. The move not only provides everyday Windows users with access to newer, better, and ultimately more useful generative capabilities, but also signals Microsoft’s commitment to integrating AI natively in personal computing.However, users and IT professionals should remain circumspect. The sustainability of this generous model, Microsoft’s handling of privacy and data, and the potential for backsliding into more restrictive policies if usage soars remain unresolved. While the current state of Copilot is a substantial achievement, confirmed only through careful, session-by-session verification and technical experimentation, it’s clear that the AI arms race in free productivity is only just beginning.
For those eager to extract the most value from Copilot, the advice is simple: experiment frequently, monitor changes, and stay informed through direct testing and credible community reporting. As the boundary between paid and unpaid AI continues to blur, and as Microsoft continues to iterate on its Copilot offering, Windows users stand to benefit profoundly—so long as they remain vigilant to the ever-shifting terms of access and engagement.
Source: Windows Latest Test hints Microsoft Copilot may offer ChatGPT's o4-mini-high for free