Microsoft Expands AI Model Support with Anthropic Integration

Microsoft has announced the integration of Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4.2 models into Microsoft 365 Copilot, alongside existing OpenAI models. This move allows Microsoft Copilot Studio and Researcher users to access Anthropic's AI models.

The company, based in Redmond, stated that the inclusion of the Claude model family aims to provide customers with the best AI innovations from across the industry.

Charles Lamanna, President of Business & Industry for Microsoft's Copilot team, explained in a blog post that Copilot will continue to be powered by OpenAI’s latest models, while customers will now have the flexibility to use Anthropic models, starting in Researcher or when building agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio.

Microsoft's Researcher agent will also be able to utilize Claude Opus 4.1 in addition to OpenAI's reasoning models. Users can access the Anthropic model by clicking the ‘Try Claude’ icon on the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.

After opting to use Claude Opus 4.1, users will be able to switch easily between OpenAI and Anthropic models.

Meanwhile, Microsoft will offer Copilot Studio users the option to mix models for specialized tasks from Anthropic, OpenAI, or any models in the Azure Model Catalog.

The new agreement between Microsoft and Anthropic follows a report from The Verge indicating that the tech giant has begun favoring Claude models for GitHub Copilot paid users.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella commented on the announcement in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Our multi-model approach goes beyond choice. It's about bringing the best AI from across the industry to Copilot, tuned for work and tailored to every business.”