By Microsoft made GPT-5 the default model in Copilot during November 2025, and developers can’t opt out. The phased rollout started in early November with a toggle letting users revert to older models. By late November, Phase 2 removed the toggle entirely. If you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license—whether in VS Code, GitHub, or Microsoft 365—you’re running GPT-5 now.
The Numbers Behind the Push
However, GPT-5 delivers measurable improvements. On SWE-bench Verified, which tests real-world coding tasks like fixing GitHub issues, GPT-5 scores 74.9%—a 2.4x improvement over GPT-4o’s 30.8%. Moreover, for multi-language code editing, it hits 88% accuracy, beating OpenAI’s o3 model at 81%.
OpenAI launched GPT-5 in August 2025, cutting factual errors by 45% compared to GPT-4o. Additionally, the model uses 22% fewer output tokens and 45% fewer tool calls than o3, making it faster and cheaper to run.
Independent testing confirms these benchmarks, showing GPT-5 significantly outperforms its predecessors on real-world tasks.
How the Microsoft Copilot Real-Time Router Works
Furthermore, GPT-5’s real-time router dynamically selects between a fast model and a deeper reasoning model based on task complexity. Simple queries get instant responses. In contrast, complex requests trigger the thinking model, which takes longer but produces thorough results.
Microsoft announced the integration in August, emphasizing that the router learns from user behavior and measured correctness. Nevertheless, it’s a black box. You don’t know which model Copilot is using at any moment.
Developers React: Better, Not Perfect
Developer reactions are mixed. Some praise clearer outputs and better task sequencing. However, complaints persist about slower performance on complex tasks and over-filtering from conservative safety settings.
The biggest letdown? Unmet expectations. “People expected perfection. Instead, they found a smarter but still fallible LLM,” one analysis noted. Consequently, hallucinations are reduced but not eliminated. Frequent updates create “change fatigue,” disrupting workflows.
The consensus: Test GPT-5 on your real processes and judge by outcomes. It’s measurably better, but it’s an upgrade, not a revolution.
The ROI Question
GitHub Copilot Pro costs $10 per month. Microsoft 365 Copilot runs $30 per user monthly for enterprise. If GPT-5 saves one hour per week at $75/hour developer rates, the ROI is 10-30x.
But does 2.4x better coding translate to one hour saved weekly? Junior developers see bigger gains. Meanwhile, senior developers using Copilot for boilerplate may not notice much difference. And GitHub Copilot Free offers 2,000 completions monthly at zero cost, enough to question paid subscriptions.
The forced update complicates ROI. Without the toggle, it feels like “you’re paying more, deal with it.”
The Bigger Pattern
This forced rollout is part of a broader AI force-feeding trend. Microsoft and Google push AI features everywhere—Copilot in Edge and Windows 11, Gemini in Workspace—whether users want them or not.
Developers notice. ByteIota recently covered how 84% adopt AI tools but only 60% trust them. The adoption-trust gap exists because companies deploy AI aggressively before users feel ready.
GPT-5 might be technically superior, but the lack of opt-out feels heavy-handed. Developers don’t object to better tools. They object to losing control.
What You Need to Know
GPT-5 is now the default Copilot model with no revert option. The real-time router balances speed and reasoning automatically. Performance is real: 74.9% on SWE-bench, 45% fewer errors, 22% more efficient.
Pricing remains $10-30 monthly depending on tier. Whether it’s worth it depends on time saved in practice. Heavy users benefit from fewer debugging sessions. Light users might stick with the free tier.
Microsoft’s forced rollout reflects confidence in GPT-5. But the backlash says developers wanted a choice. The data proves GPT-5 is better. The mandate removes control.
