Microsoft has begun a large-scale replacement of third-party artificial intelligence models from OpenAI and Anthropic with its own MAI (Microsoft AI) developments in key business applications — Excel and Outlook. This decision is driven not so much by technological superiority as by strict cost-cutting measures.
Currently, tens of thousands of requests per week are processed directly within these applications using Microsoft's internal models. Until now, Excel and Outlook relied heavily on solutions from OpenAI and Anthropic, but the share of MAI's own models in the total volume of AI tasks is still small. The company has clearly set a course to reduce operating expenses.
Cost Savings as a Strategy
Back in June, the head of Microsoft's AI division, Mustafa Suleyman, directly stated the intention to reduce spending on Anthropic and gradually transition to its own systems. His words were extremely candid: "We pay Anthropic a lot of money — our task is to gradually cut costs and completely eliminate unnecessary expenses."
This statement was not unfounded. As early as May 2026, the company began phasing out most internal licenses for Claude Code. The current transition to its own models is just part of a large-scale cost reduction program that has also affected other areas.
In parallel, Microsoft is cutting its workforce by 2.1% — 4,800 people, with the main blow hitting the Xbox gaming division, where about 3,200 specialists will lose their jobs. It is clear that the giant is reassessing its priorities, concentrating resources on developing its own AI.
Cryptalist Analysis: Microsoft's decision is not just optimization, but a strategic pivot. The company, having invested billions in infrastructure and development, no longer wants to be dependent on the pricing policies of its partners. Creating its own MAI models is a long-term bet on sovereignty in the AI field. For the market, this is a signal: major players will strive for vertical integration, which could lead to a reassessment of the cost of services from OpenAI and Anthropic for corporate clients.