Is this a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”? 😉 According to a report, Microsoft will buy AI from Anthropic after OpenAI has taken steps to compete with Microsoft.

According to an article in TechCrunch, Microsoft will pay to use Anthropic’s AI in Office 365 apps. The move means that Anthropic’s tech will help power new features in Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint alongside OpenAI’s, marking the end of Microsoft’s previous reliance solely on the ChatGPT maker for its productivity suite.

Microsoft’s move to diversify its AI partnerships comes amid a growing rift with OpenAI, which has pursued its own infrastructure projects as well as a potential LinkedIn competitor.

Microsoft’s Anthropic deal also comes as the company negotiates a new deal with OpenAI to secure access to its AI models after a pending for-profit restructuring. But The Information says the move isn’t a negotiating tactic. Leaders at Microsoft believe Anthropic’s latest models — Claude Sonnet 4, specifically — perform better than OpenAI’s in certain functions, like creating aesthetically pleasing PowerPoint presentations.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has branched out, though. While OpenAI is the default model, Microsoft offers other models like xAI’s Grok and Anthropic’s Claude through GitHub Copilot. Microsoft is also trying to set itself up for self-reliance. The company recently introduced its first two in-house models: MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview.

Meanwhile, OpenAI is similarly seeking to step out from under Microsoft’s influence. Last week, OpenAI launched a jobs platform to take on Microsoft’s LinkedIn, and The Financial Times reported that OpenAI is set to begin mass production on its first AI chips in partnership with Broadcom in 2026. That means it will be able to potentially run training and inference on hardware it controls, rather than being dependent on Microsoft’s Azure setup.

In the meantime, Anthropic could probably use some extra cash after they agreed to pay $1.5 billion to settle their lawsuit with authors. Then again, maybe not. 😉

When it comes to major tech companies and AI partnerships, they’re always going to go where the money is. Expect more conversations involving the phrase “it’s not you, it’s me”.

So, what do you think? Are you surprised that Microsoft will buy AI from Anthropic? And will it spell the end of their relationship with OpenAI? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

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