If you’ve ever wished Copilot felt a little different depending on the task you were working on, your wish just came true.
Microsoft 365 Copilot now supports model choice, and Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet is officially available alongside OpenAI models in Copilot chat for eligible tenants. This means Copilot is no longer a one‑size‑fits‑all experience. Instead, users can pick the AI model that best fits the work they’re doing.
This is one of those changes that sounds subtle at first, but has real, everyday impact once you start using it.
What’s New?
Microsoft has expanded Copilot’s underlying AI options to include Anthropic Claude Sonnet, giving users another powerful model to choose from directly inside Copilot Chat. Claude is known for strong reasoning, clean structured outputs, and thoughtful long‑form responses. Microsoft is positioning this as part of a broader “model choice” strategy, letting users select the right engine for the job instead of guessing which backend Copilot is using.
The key takeaway: you don’t need a new tool or a separate login. Claude shows up right where you already work, inside Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Why This Matters
Not all AI models think the same way. Some are better at brainstorming, others at structured analysis, and others at turning messy input into polished output. By adding Claude Sonnet to Copilot, Microsoft is acknowledging something many power users already know: different tasks benefit from different styles of reasoning.
For end users, this means better results with fewer prompt retries. For organizations, it reinforces Copilot as a flexible, enterprise‑ready platform rather than a single black box AI.
Just as important, Microsoft is keeping its existing enterprise data protections in place. Claude operates as a Microsoft subprocessor, and Copilot’s commercial data protection still applies, even when you switch models.
How to Use Claude in Microsoft 365 Copilot
Getting started is refreshingly simple once your tenant allows it.
Open Copilot Chat in Microsoft 365.
Look for the model selector near the prompt box.
Choose Claude Sonnet from the available options.
Enter your prompt and work as usual.
That’s it. No prompt changes required.
When Claude Really Shines: Real‑World Scenarios
Here are a few situations where switching to Claude can be especially useful.
Drafting structured content
If you’re writing a policy summary, executive briefing, or step‑by‑step guide, Claude tends to produce clear sections and logical flow. It’s great when you want something that reads clean without heavy editing.
Summarizing complex material
Long documents, meeting transcripts, or research notes are a strong fit. Claude does a nice job pulling out themes and presenting them in a way that’s easy to scan and reuse.
Refining messy inputs
Got a rough set of notes, bullet points from multiple people, or half‑finished content? Claude excels at turning chaos into clarity while preserving the original intent.
Thinking through decisions
For pros and cons lists, risk assessments, or “talk me through this” prompts, Claude’s reasoning style feels deliberate and balanced, which can be helpful for decision support.
Tips and Tricks for Best Results
- Be explicit about the format you want. Claude responds well to instructions like “give me a table,” “write this for executives,” or “limit this to one page.”
- Use it for the second draft, not just the first. Try generating content with one model and refining it with Claude to compare tone and clarity.
- Switch models mid‑task. You can ask the same prompt using different models and see which output fits best before moving forward.
- Don’t overthink the choice. This isn’t about finding the “best” model once, but picking the right tool for the moment.
Wrapping It All Up
Claude’s arrival in Microsoft 365 Copilot isn’t about replacing anything. It’s about giving users more control and better outcomes with the same familiar Copilot experience. Model choice turns Copilot into a more adaptive assistant, one that can flex depending on whether you’re analyzing data, drafting content, or working through a complex idea.
If you haven’t tried switching models yet, this is a great week to experiment. Pick a real task you already do, run it with Claude Sonnet, and compare the results. Chances are, you’ll find yourself reaching for model choice more often than you expect. And that’s exactly where Copilot starts to feel less like a feature and more like a true productivity partner.
