According to XDA-Developers, reports indicate Microsoft Copilot’s momentum is slowing despite its aggressive rollout. The Information reported that Microsoft lowered growth targets after customers resisted purchasing Copilot, a claim the company only partially refuted. Data from First Page Sage shows Copilot holds a 14.1% share of the AI search market but its estimated quarterly user growth is just 2%. That growth is the lowest among major models, trailing ChatGPT’s 7% gain and Google Gemini’s 12% surge. This comes as the market floods with alternatives like Claude AI and Perplexity, making user attention harder to capture.
The wow factor is missing
Here’s the thing: speed of deployment doesn’t equal success. Microsoft shoved Copilot into everything—Windows, Office, Edge—at a dizzying pace. But that tactic seems to have backfired. When you force-feed users a tool, they need a compelling reason to actually use it daily. And right now, Copilot isn’t providing that “wow” moment. ChatGPT has first-mover advantage and brand recognition. Google Gemini is integrating deeply into the world’s most used search engine. Claude is winning minds with its perceived reasoning quality. What’s Copilot’s unique selling point? Being pre-installed isn’t enough when the competition is just a browser tab away.
A crowded and picky market
Look at that growth table. It’s brutal. While Microsoft sits in second place for market share, that position looks increasingly fragile. Google Gemini, with a smaller share, is growing six times faster. Even newcomers like Deepseek are seeing double-digit growth. This tells us the market is still fluid; users are experimenting and haven’t settled on a single “daily driver.” They’re becoming picky, comparing output quality, response speed, and personality. When every model has access to similar base tech, the differentiators get subtle. Copilot, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4, is basically selling a branded version of a competitor’s engine. That’s a tough spot to be in when the original is still growing strongly.
Enterprise adoption is the real battle
The consumer chatbot numbers are one story, but the real revenue fight is in the enterprise. That’s where the report of lowered sales quotas and customer resistance really stings. Companies aren’t just looking for a fun chatbot; they need reliable, secure, and cost-effective AI that integrates into workflows. If businesses are pushing back on buying Copilot licenses, it points to a value proposition problem. Is it too expensive? Not demonstrably better than what employees are already using for free? Microsoft’s deep enterprise ties are its biggest advantage, but also its biggest vulnerability if it can’t convert those relationships into paid AI subscriptions. This isn’t just about search share; it’s about the future of their cloud and software revenue.
What’s next for Copilot?
So, is Copilot doomed? Of course not. It’s backed by one of the world’s most powerful tech companies, deeply embedded in billions of devices. But these reports are a massive warning flare. Momentum in tech is everything, and stalling out this early in the AI race is a bad sign. Microsoft needs to innovate *on top of* the OpenAI foundation, not just repackage it. They need features you can’t get anywhere else, tied seamlessly to Windows and Office that actually feel essential. Otherwise, Copilot risks becoming that clippy paperclip of the 2020s—a ubiquitous but largely ignored assistant. The pressure is on, and the competition isn’t waiting.
