Employees prefer ChatGPT over Microsoft Copilot: what does it mean for AI in Enterprises?

A Surprising Twist: ChatGPT Becomes the Workplace Favorite

When Microsoft launched Copilot, its AI-powered assistant for Office and enterprise tools, many expected that big companies would quickly adopt it across the board. With deep integration into Microsoft 365, Word, Excel, and Teams, and the credibility of Microsoft behind it, Copilot seemed destined to become the go-to AI in the business world.

Yet, over the last year, something unexpected has happened. Even as corporations have spent millions on Copilot licenses, employees are still choosing to use ChatGPT, OpenAI’s more consumer-friendly chatbot, for much of their daily work. This shift is causing challenges for Microsoft, raising important questions about how people actually want to use AI at work.

The Roots of the Problem: Familiarity and Momentum

One of the biggest reasons for ChatGPT’s popularity is its head start and viral growth. ChatGPT was launched in late 2022 and immediately caught the public’s imagination. Its simple web interface, fast responses, and surprisingly good results led millions to try it at home and, soon after, at work.

By the time Microsoft rolled out Copilot for business, many employees were already comfortable with ChatGPT, using it to draft emails, summarize documents, brainstorm, or even code. That early adoption led to a kind of “habit inertia”—people preferred to stick with the tool they knew, rather than switch to something new, even if it was more tightly integrated with their company’s systems.

Adoption Gaps: What the Numbers Say

The difference in usage is striking. OpenAI claims that ChatGPT has over 800 million weekly active users and more than 3 million paying business users as of June 2025. Meanwhile, Microsoft Copilot, despite being built into Office 365 and Teams, lags far behind, with recent reports confirming around 20 million weekly active users for Copilot.

A high-profile example is pharmaceutical giant Amgen, which reportedly bought 20,000 Copilot licenses for its employees. Yet, a year later, the majority of Amgen’s staff still default to ChatGPT for their daily tasks, according to industry reporting.

Why Do Employees Prefer ChatGPT?

Perceived Quality and Simplicity

Many users say that ChatGPT “just works.” It provides quick, clear answers and can handle a wide range of requests without complex setup. For research, drafting, and summarizing, employees say the results are often more “natural” and useful than what Copilot provides. Survey data across several organizations has shown higher user satisfaction scores for ChatGPT, though these are perception-based and not formal technical benchmarks.

Less Friction, Fewer Restrictions

ChatGPT is not locked down by company policies in the same way as Copilot. While this raises data security concerns, it means employees can use it with fewer hoops to jump through. It’s also easy to access—just open a browser tab, with no additional software or sign-in steps needed.

The Power of Viral Adoption

Since ChatGPT spread organically, much of the training and know-how happened informally. Employees taught each other tips and tricks, shared prompts, and integrated ChatGPT into their own work routines—often faster than IT departments could roll out official Copilot guides.

Why Isn’t Copilot Taking Off?

Enterprise IT vs. Employee Experience

Microsoft Copilot is designed to be secure, compliant, and tightly integrated with enterprise systems. But this very strength can make it feel slow, cumbersome, or restrictive. In practice, employees report that Copilot sometimes lags behind ChatGPT in responsiveness and quality, especially for open-ended tasks or creative writing.

Perception and Branding

Internally, even some Microsoft leaders have acknowledged that Copilot’s branding and user experience may feel less engaging or approachable than ChatGPT’s. Some have likened Copilot to a “corporate Clippy”—useful, but not exciting.

Internal Competition and Confusion

Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI means that ChatGPT and Copilot sometimes seem to compete directly, even though Microsoft is a major OpenAI investor. This has led to some strategic confusion and tension inside Microsoft, with different teams pulling in different directions and sales staff unsure which product to push in some situations. Major news outlets, including Bloomberg, have described the current situation as a “dogfight” between the two sides.

Research Insights: How Employees Really Learn and Use AI

Recent large-scale trials and studies of Copilot and ChatGPT users in organizations highlight several key themes:

• Learning by Doing: Most employees learn to use AI tools by experimenting and asking colleagues for help—not by following formal training. Tools that are easy to pick up, like ChatGPT, spread fastest.

• Preference for Flexibility: Users like tools that let them work the way they want, rather than being locked into specific workflows.

• Trust and Transparency: Some employees are wary of AI for sensitive tasks, worrying about privacy, accuracy, or bias. When Copilot feels “locked down,” it can reinforce these concerns, rather than ease them.

These patterns were seen in major pilots, including a 2024 Australian government program involving 300 staff, and a large UK government trial with over 14,000 employees, both of which found Copilot boosted productivity for routine tasks but left users wanting more flexibility and transparency.

Microsoft’s Response: Changing the Game

Microsoft has recognized these challenges and is taking steps to improve Copilot’s appeal. The company has brought in Mark D’Arcy, a well-known marketing leader from Meta, to reimagine Copilot’s branding and user experience, aiming to make it feel more personal and useful. They’re also investing in new features, like “AI agents” that can take on specific business tasks, and building out internal training resources for Copilot.

Still, insiders say Microsoft faces an uphill battle. Employees’ expectations have shifted. They want AI that feels fast, flexible, and as intuitive as the tools they use outside of work.

The Consumerization of Workplace AI

What’s happening with Copilot and ChatGPT reflects a bigger trend—the consumerization of enterprise technology. Just as iPhones and Google Docs replaced older, more “corporate” solutions in the past, employees are now bringing their favorite AI tools to work, and IT departments are scrambling to keep up.

For Microsoft, success may depend on making Copilot as frictionless and engaging as ChatGPT, while maintaining the security and compliance that businesses need. For other organizations, it’s a reminder that the best tools are often the ones people actually want to use...not just the ones with the biggest marketing budget.

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