OpenAI and Microsoft just leveled up their partnership—GPT-5.6 is now the default model for Microsoft 365 Copilot across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Chat, and Cowork. This isn’t just a spec bump; it’s a smarter, more efficient AI that does more with each token, meaning better results for complex tasks without burning through your compute budget. In Word, it cuts down on back-and-forth editing. Excel gets deeper analysis with fewer resources. PowerPoint turns rough ideas into polished decks faster. Cowork handles cross-functional workflows with less manual juggling. Both Microsoft’s Nitin Agrawal and OpenAI’s Nikunj Handa emphasized that this move is about making AI actually useful in the tools millions use daily. Why it matters: This integration signals a shift from flashy demos to practical, token-efficient productivity gains—a quiet revolution in how we’ll work with AI, not just gawk at it.