Why Microsoft Renamed Bing Chat to Microsoft Copilot and What It Means for AI

Background

With OpenAI’s app‑store strategy and the full upgrade of GPT‑4, AI developers such as Google and Meta have entered a fierce competition. As a major shareholder of OpenAI, Microsoft has not abandoned its own technology products, keeping them at the forefront while cooperating with OpenAI as a partner.

Recently, Microsoft split its product line again, renaming the “Bing Chat” service to the previously code‑focused “GitHub Copilot”.

Re‑shaping the AI Brand

This Wednesday Microsoft officially announced that the AI chatbot formerly known as “Bing Chat” – often described as a chaotic AI assistant – will be called “Microsoft Copilot”. The “Copilot” name originates from the “GitHub Copilot” introduced in 2021.

In March, Microsoft launched a series of Copilot products, including Dynamics 365 Copilot, Windows Copilot, Microsoft Security Copilot, and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Now Bing Chat is simply renamed “Copilot”.

Microsoft user Amit Malik wrote on X that the proliferation of Copilot names – Microsoft Copilot, Windows Copilot, M365 Copilot, and the many 365 apps – makes the AI ecosystem more confusing, arguing that AI programs should simplify rather than complicate.

Renamed Bing Chat

In addition to renaming Bing Chat and Bing Chat Enterprise, Microsoft launched a dedicated Copilot website (copilot.microsoft.com) that provides a specialized chat interface.

New Copilot Development Tools

Microsoft also introduced Microsoft Copilot Studio – another Copilot platform designed to help developers build new Copilot experiences using the latest AI models that resemble GPT‑style agents.

Microsoft states: “GPT is a new way to create custom Copilot versions for specific tasks. Combined with the previously announced OpenAI plugin support, GPT and plugins will give both casual users and professional developers new opportunities and tailored experiences to meet a broader range of needs.”

Microsoft says Microsoft Copilot will be fully launched on December 1.

Competitors Re‑anchor to OpenAI

Earlier this year Microsoft rolled out a suite of AI products integrated into Bing, offering a ChatGPT‑like interface directly in search results. Within a year it abandoned the Bing Chat brand and shifted to Copilot.

Initially Microsoft aimed its AI ambitions at competing with Google Search, but now it appears to be refocusing on ChatGPT.

When OpenAI announced that hundreds of millions of users were using ChatGPT, Bing Chat underwent a brand overhaul. Despite a multibillion‑dollar investment and close partnership, Microsoft and OpenAI continue to compete for the same AI‑assistant customers, with Microsoft positioning Copilot as a dual consumer‑enterprise solution.

From the renaming, it seems Bing will no longer be the primary entry point for Microsoft’s AI strategy, and it remains unclear whether the tech giant’s push for AI‑enhanced search will succeed. According to StatCounter, even ten months after Bing Chat’s launch, Google still holds over 91% of the market share.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella earlier this year likened Google to an 800‑pound gorilla he wants to make dance, noting that Google has not integrated AI into its search results as aggressively as Microsoft.