GPT-5 Is Here… And It Brings New Microsoft Connectors

This Week in IT, everyone’s talking about GPT-5, but the biggest winner might be Microsoft — sneaking in new AI integrations you probably missed. We’ve also got a serious Entra ID security flaw that could bypass FIDO authentication, and a new way to run Office right from your Windows taskbar.

Links and resources

• Microsoft incorporates OpenAI’s GPT-5 into consumer, developer and enterprise offerings – Source
• Don’t Phish-let Me Down: FIDO Authentication Downgrade | Proofpoint US
• New Downgrade Attack Targeting FIDO Passkeys
• Get started with Microsoft 365 companions – Microsoft Support

Episode overview

This Week, Russell covers recent developments in AI technology, Microsoft integrations, security vulnerabilities, and new productivity tools.

• GPT-5 introduces Smart Mode: GPT-5 features dynamic model routing for optimized responses, better context, and advanced reasoning, though some users find it less effective than GPT-4 for coding tasks. OpenAI allows switching back to legacy models if desired.
• New AI connectors expand capabilities: On August 11, OpenAI released new connectors for Microsoft 365 services including Outlook Calendar, Mail, and Teams, complementing existing OneDrive and SharePoint connectors. These connectors are read-only and must be enabled per chat session.
• Limitations on AI action execution: Copilot chat and Outlook Copilot can guide users to perform actions like sending emails or creating calendar events but do not fully automate these tasks.
• EntraID FIDO downgrade attack risk: Researchers identified a man-in-the-middle attack tricking browsers into switching to FIDO authentication fallback, enabling attackers to capture verification codes and impersonate users.
• New Office companion apps for Windows 11: Microsoft plans to roll out lightweight companion apps for contacts, file search, and calendar accessible from the Windows taskbar, aimed at improving productivity in business environments.