Microsoft Copilot now offers free GPT-5 access via new Smart Mode
Microsoft Copilot, the artificial intelligence chatbot integrated into Windows PCs, is now offering users complimentary access to OpenAI’s latest and most formidable large language model, GPT-5, through its newly introduced Smart Mode. This significant upgrade extends beyond the core Copilot chatbot, with GPT-5 now powering a suite of Microsoft’s AI-driven tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure AI Foundry, and GitHub Copilot.
For users eager to experience GPT-5, the Smart Mode is readily accessible via the Copilot website. Navigating to the site from any web browser reveals a model selector located directly beneath the text input field; choosing “Smart Mode” activates the advanced AI. Microsoft initiated a gradual rollout of this new feature to a select group of Copilot users approximately a week prior to this announcement. At present, the Smart Mode has not yet appeared on the dedicated Windows Copilot application, suggesting the company is phasing in the update across its platforms.
Initial observations from users engaging with Copilot’s Smart Mode indicate a marked improvement in response speed. The outputs generated by GPT-5 are notably faster than those from previous OpenAI models. Furthermore, Copilot’s integration of GPT-5 appears to come with fewer usage restrictions compared to the free tiers of other AI services, such as ChatGPT, which often revert to older models after a limited number of queries. A significant user-friendly aspect is that accessing Copilot’s new Smart Mode does not require a Microsoft account, making it broadly accessible.
Microsoft has also emphasized the rigorous safety protocols applied to GPT-5 before its public release. In a recent blog post, the company detailed how its AI Red Team—a specialized unit tasked with proactively identifying and mitigating potential harms in critical AI systems—conducted extensive testing on GPT-5. Their assessments concluded that GPT-5’s reasoning model demonstrated “one of the strongest AI safety profiles” among all prior OpenAI models, underscoring Microsoft’s commitment to responsible AI deployment.
The enhanced capabilities of GPT-5 are poised to significantly improve productivity tools. For Microsoft 365 Copilot, the latest model promises greater accuracy and depth in answering complex questions, alongside an improved ability to maintain context and coherence during extended conversations. This upgrade also empowers users with more sophisticated assistance for tasks such as drafting email replies and analyzing intricate documents and files. Similarly, GitHub Copilot, Microsoft’s AI coding assistant, is set to benefit immensely. A separate blog post from GitHub highlighted that OpenAI’s newest model delivers “substantial improvements in reasoning, code quality and user experience over previous versions,” signaling a leap forward for developers utilizing the tool.
This widespread integration of GPT-5 across Microsoft’s AI ecosystem marks a pivotal moment, offering users and developers alike access to cutting-edge AI capabilities that promise faster, safer, and more intelligent interactions across a diverse range of applications.