Microsoft deploys MAI in Excel and Outlook to cut costs
Technology
Microsoft is now using its homegrown AI, called MAI, in Excel and Outlook to save money and rely less on outside companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
MAI is already powering tens of thousands of prompts each week in these apps, marking a big shift in how Microsoft handles AI behind the scenes.
Microsoft MAI used in GitHub Copilot
By building its own models, Microsoft keeps costs down and gains more control over its tech.
One of the new MAI models matches the coding performance of an older Anthropic AI model called Opus 4.6, but at a lower cost.
These models are already used in GitHub Copilot, and Microsoft plans to use a separate AI transcription model in Teams video calls, so you'll probably notice smarter features popping up across Microsoft products soon.