Why Are Users Choosing ChatGPT Over Microsoft 365 Copilot?

There’s been a lot of chatter this week about Microsoft struggling to get businesses on board with Microsoft 365 Copilot. Now, it’s not that big enterprises aren’t buying it—many of them are. But here’s the twist: actual adoption inside those organizations is sluggish.

Wait—Why is that?

Well, here’s the kicker. Users are choosing ChatGPT instead. Even in companies that already have Copilot licenses, people still seem to prefer jumping into ChatGPT.

If users are leaning toward ChatGPT, then they’re not really tapping into what Microsoft 365 Copilot is supposed to do best—namely, all the deep integrations with your Microsoft 365 tenant data.

Copilot has access to your:

• Documents
• Emails
• Calendar
• Teams chats… all that stuff.

But ChatGPT? Unless you’ve set up some sort of custom integration between ChatGPT and your Microsoft 365 environment—and honestly, I’m not even sure if that’s possible without some enterprise wizardry—then you’re working in a silo.

Why are people still using ChatGPT?

I think part of the problem is that people aren’t using these tools in a very sophisticated way just yet. They’re asking simple stuff, getting back basic answers, and that’s working well enough for now. And maybe they’re not really seeing the full value Copilot could offer—because it’s not being surfaced in a compelling way.

I’m not using Microsoft 365 Copilot much myself. I’ve got a ChatGPT subscription that I use regularly. And I’ve also been experimenting with the Copilot that’s built into Windows—but here’s the weird part: that version doesn’t connect to Microsoft 365. You can log in, sure, but only with a personal Microsoft account. It doesn’t pull in any of my corporate data.

Why not allow Microsoft 365 Copilot access in the Windows Copilot experience? I’m forced to use the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, which isn’t surfaced in Windows by default. I have to switch between a corporate and personal version of the Copilot app. One app that incorporates both personal and corporate Copilot experiences would simplify the end user experience.

The new Microsoft 365 homepage isn’t helping

Microsoft did make a recent change—the Office homepage (a.k.a. Microsoft 365 homepage) is now basically the Copilot app. Personally, I find that a little annoying. When I hit that page, I want to see a list of apps. Just show me Word, Excel, Teams, etc. Don’t make me dive through the Copilot app just to get to what I need. Maybe that’s just my workflow, but that change hasn’t made me want to use Copilot more—it’s just added friction.

What’s the real issue with Copilot?

I don’t think the problem is just Copilot’s feature set. I think it’s about how people are using AI right now—and how much education and integration still needs to happen. Microsoft needs to bring Copilot closer to where people already are (like Windows), and they need to do a better job of showing why Microsoft 365  Copilot is better than ChatGPT in context.

Because right now users aren’t seeing the advantage of those integrations. And if you don’t see a clear, obvious benefit, you’re going to stick with what you already know.

Looking ahead

All the talk about AI agents and automation Microsoft is working on is exciting—but I also wonder how many companies will actually be ready to use it when it rolls out. It’s going to require a whole new set of skills, training, and workflows. We’re years away from seeing real, widespread adoption in a meaningful way.

In the meantime, Microsoft has a challenge on its hands: pry users away from ChatGPT. And that won’t happen until they give people a compelling, clear reason to use Copilot in Microsoft 365. And let’s face it—it’s just not quite there yet.