Microsoft and OpenAI are tightening the loop between enterprise AI platforms and frontier models, with GPT-5.1 now available in Microsoft Copilot Studio and OpenAI’s wider release bringing a faster, more customizable generation of the model to market. According to the Microsoft November 12 media statement, GPT-5.1 is now accessible as an experimental model for US customers in early-release Power Platform environments. A PYMNTS November 13 article adds that GPT-5.1 arrives in two versions, Instant and Thinking, both designed to improve reasoning, instruction-following, and personalization while supporting enterprise-scale adoption.
Microsoft frames its early release as a way for organizations to test cutting-edge capabilities before they reach production. GPT-5.1 in Copilot Studio is offered in both chat and reasoning modes, giving builders the opportunity to evaluate performance against current models. Because these models are experimental, Microsoft recommends using them only in non-production scenarios while they complete quality validation.
OpenAI’s broader GPT-5.1 release introduces a dual-track design. Instant is now the default model across paid ChatGPT tiers, optimized for speed, conversational flow, and improved instruction adherence. Thinking adjusts its compute time based on task difficulty to handle more complex reasoning. The model also brings expanded personalization, including new tone presets such as Friendly, Professional, Candid, and Nerdy, plus experimental controls for warmth and conciseness.
Per the outlets, GPT-5.1 fits into OpenAI’s push toward usability over raw benchmark gains, following the launch of ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-powered browser that treats the web as a workspace versus a set of tabs. OpenAI reports more than 1 million paying business customers using its models for research, summarization, and support operations across sectors such as life sciences, retail, technology, and financial services. Competition remains intense: Anthropic is reportedly on track for earlier profitability, reflecting distinct strategies in scale and cost discipline.
For enterprises, GPT-5.1’s combination of speed, tone control, reasoning flexibility, and early access within Copilot Studio signals a quickly maturing ecosystem focused on reliable daily workflows rather than experimental performance spikes.
What This Means for ERP Insiders
Early testing of GPT-5.1 will help CIOs and automation leaders future-proof Copilot-driven workflows. With GPT-5.1 now available as an experimental option inside Copilot Studio, CIOs and enterprise automation leads get a controlled environment to evaluate improvements in reasoning and instruction-following before committing to production rollout. This matters for teams already building copilots and agents on top of Dynamics 365, Power Platform, or broader enterprise workflows.
Personalization and tone controls will reshape frontline AI interactions. The PYMNTS article highlights new tone presets like Friendly, Professional, and Candid, plus controls for warmth and conciseness. For customer service managers, support leads, and operations supervisors, this means a more human-aligned AI behavior in daily interactions. Teams that rely on AI for summarization, case handling, or internal knowledge queries can expect more consistent outputs that match brand voice and reduce manual correction.
Vendor economics are becoming strategic, not just technical. The outlets noted a widening gap in business models: OpenAI is focusing on broad scale and product expansion, while Anthropic is pushing toward cost efficiency and a narrower footprint. End users doing their due diligence should note that AI selection is about more than accuracy or reasoning power, as provider stability, long-term cost structure and alignment with the organization’s roadmap also come into play.
