Microsoft is reportedly coaching its sales force to disparage competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic, pushing their own in-house models as superior. During an internal strategy session for fiscal year 2027, execs highlighted the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Microsoft’s AI products over rivals.

Exec VP Jay Parikh emphasized that 'everyone else is selling parts— we’re selling the full end-to-end system.' Meanwhile, Jacob Andreou directly compared Copilot to Anthropic’s Claude, claiming it was ‘slower and less accurate.’

This shift marks a new phase in Microsoft’s relationship with its AI partners. Previously, there was an exclusive agreement between OpenAI and Microsoft, but that has since been amended, allowing for greater competition.

The move comes amid concerns over Microsoft's stock performance. Touting the competitiveness of their products could bolster investor confidence, especially as they increasingly swap out third-party models in key apps like Word and Excel.