Microsoft has begun rolling out GPT‑5.2 across Copilot on the web, Windows, and mobile as a free upgrade. It sits alongside GPT‑5.1 rather than replacing it, giving users a clear choice between speed and deeper reasoning.
GPT‑5.2 is described as OpenAI’s strongest model series so far, designed to accelerate real work: building spreadsheets and presentations, writing and reviewing code, analysing long documents, using tools, and working with images. Copilot only moved to GPT‑5.1 for Smart mode in November, and Microsoft is now introducing GPT‑5.2 as a new “Smart Plus” option.
GPT5.2 gives higher‑reasoning model for complex tasks
The updated version of Open AI’s GPT arriving in Copilot is the “Thinking variant” of GPT‑5.2 – the same model Microsoft highlights for complex, multi‑step tasks and strategic reasoning.
GPT5.2 – Benchmark performance data
OpenAI’s own release notes describe GPT‑5.2 Thinking as expert‑level for well‑specified office tasks and significantly more reliable than previous models. Industry benchmarks reinforce this:
- On knowledge‑work tasks across 44 occupations (GDPval), GPT‑5.2 Thinking beats or ties industry professionals 70.9% of the time (vs 38.8% for GPT‑5).
- Coding performance is significantly higher, scoring 55.6% on SWE‑Bench Pro and 80% on SWE‑Bench Verified — both ahead of GPT‑5.1 Thinking.
- It posts strong reasoning scores: GPQA Diamond 92.4%, AIME 2025 100%, and CharXiv Reasoning with Python 88.7%.
Microsoft Makes Model Choice a core Copilot feature
Microsoft has also rolled out GPT‑5.2 into the commercial Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio products, where it appears in the model selector alongside GPT‑5.1 and GPT‑5.2 Instant. This aligns with Microsoft’s broader strategy of giving users explicit model choice depending on the task.
In Microsoft 365 Copilot, GPT‑5.2 connects to Work IQ (aka Microsoft Graph) – Microsoft’s intelligence layer that reasons across meetings, emails, documents, and organisational data to unlock insights and strategic planning scenarios.
More Value for Copilot users
Microsoft frames this as part of its ongoing commitment to model choice across Copilot experiences, ensuring users can pick the right model for the job rather than relying on a single default. For consumers this is huge value as Open AI still make the 5.1 and 5.2 models exclusive to premium subscribers whereas Microsoft give the latest models for free (both in Windows 11 and on the web and mobile apps).
For the non commercial / enterprise version, Smart Plus becomes the “high‑reasoning” lane inside Copilot. It’s designed for:
- Multi‑step workflows
- Strategic analysis and planning
- Complex document understanding
- Code generation and review
- Tasks that benefit from slower, more deliberate reasoning
GPT‑5.2 Instant remains the fast, everyday model, while GPT‑5.2 Thinking powers Smart Plus for deeper work.
