Microsoft is reportedly routing more Office AI work to its own models

TechCrunch reports that Microsoft has joined a broader AI cost-cutting trend by routing some Microsoft 365 prompts, including Word and Excel work, to its own MAI models instead of outside providers. The report frames the move as part of a practical shift in enterprise AI: model choice is increasingly driven by cost, latency, and control rather than raw benchmark leadership alone. For Microsoft, the move also tests how independent its AI stack can become while it remains closely tied to OpenAI.

Key details: Microsoft is reportedly using in-house MAI models for some Office prompts, The reported examples include Word and Excel, The shift is framed as part of AI inference cost control.

Why it matters: Enterprise AI economics are forcing even the biggest OpenAI partner to optimize which model handles which task.