GPT-5.5 Instant now available in Copilot
- Maxime Hiez
- Copilot
- 14 May, 2026
Introduction
Microsoft 365 Copilot is accelerating the renewal cadence of its underlying models ; this is the fifth iteration of the GPT-5.x series deployed in less than a year. On 7 May 2026, GPT-5.5 Instant became available in Copilot Chat, Copilot Studio, and Microsoft Foundry, two to three days after its launch as ChatGPT’s new default model on 5 May 2026. The simultaneous arrival of GPT-5.5 Thinking and ChatGPT Images 2.0 completes this wave.
Two models, two use cases
This update introduces a clear distinction between two complementary models :
- GPT-5.5 Instant : Optimized for speed and everyday tasks : emails, summaries, quick searches. It succeeds GPT-5.3 Instant, GPT-5.4 having been reserved for Thinking-type models only.
- GPT-5.5 Thinking : Designed for deep reasoning and complex tasks in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Copilot Chat. Available at the same time as its Instant counterpart.
In addition, ChatGPT Images 2.0 is rolling out in PowerPoint and will soon arrive in Copilot Chat.
As a reminder, GPT-5 (automatic routing) has been the default model for Copilot Chat since December 2025.
What GPT-5.5 Instant improves
Based on data published by OpenAI and reported by TechCrunch, GPT-5.5 Instant delivers measurable gains over GPT-5.3 Instant :
| GPT-5.3 Instant | GPT-5.5 Instant | |
|---|---|---|
| AIME 2025 | 65.4 | 81.2 |
| MMMU-Pro | 69.2 | 76.0 |
| Hallucination reduction (high-stakes domains) | Reference | -52.5% |
| Verbosity | Reference | -30% |
| Lines per response | Reference | -29% |
Improvements in image analysis and STEM tasks are also confirmed. Responses become more concise without loss of accuracy, directly benefiting rapid document and email processing scenarios.
Where to find GPT-5.5 Instant in the interface
The model is accessible from several entry points :
- Copilot Chat : Available in the model selector under the label “GPT-5.5 Quick response”
- Copilot Studio : Listed as “GPT-5.5 Chat” in the Early Release / Targeted Release channel
- Microsoft Foundry : Available to developers for integration into custom solutions
What administrators need to know
The rollout of GPT-5.5 Instant follows the same access model as GPT-5.2, users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license receive priority access, while Copilot Chat users without a license have standard access.
Unlike GitHub Copilot, where administrators must enable a dedicated policy to make GPT-5.5 available (since 24 April 2026), no specific admin control has been confirmed for Microsoft 365 Copilot at the time of publication.
note
Conclusion
GPT-5.5 Instant is part of a sustained update cycle that shortens the gap between OpenAI launches and their availability in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. For administrators, the rollout is transparent, no activation required at this stage. For users, the primary benefit is faster and more concise responses for everyday tasks, with notable improvements in image analysis and reasoning on technical subjects.
Sources
Microsoft Learn - Microsoft 365 Copilot release notes
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