Microsoft's Copilot taps influencers to rival ChatGPT, Gemini

Microsoft has turned to US social media influencers, including Alix Earle and the Pheloung twins, to promote its Copilot AI chatbot to younger consumers.

The company’s Copilot assistant has 150 million monthly active users, trailing behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT with 800 million weekly users and Google’s Gemini at 650 million monthly users.

Influencers are creating videos showing practical uses for Copilot in daily life, with some clips—like Earle’s skincare advice video—drawing millions of views.

Microsoft has not disclosed the financial terms or detailed performance metrics.

Experts say influencer campaigns can boost familiarity, but Copilot remains most known among office workers, and analysts are cautious about whether this push will close the gap with ChatGPT.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Microsoft’s 150M MAU claim mixes different metrics across consumer and enterprise

The 150 million monthly active users for Copilots blends staff on M365 Copilot (an AI assistant in Word and Excel) and coders on GitHub Copilot (an AI coding assistant) with 26 million users 1. It also counts consumers on Windows (operating system), Edge (web browser), and Bing (search engine) 2.
ChatGPT tracks weekly active users (WAU) for consumers, while Gemini cites MAU, but this figure mixes workplace software with casual browsing so comparisons mislead 3.
Enterprise pull leads. 90% of Fortune 500 use M365 Copilot, and PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) runs over 200,000 seats 1, while consumer traction stays vague.
Company filings focus on commercial gains, with Microsoft 365 commercial cloud up 17% in Q1 FY26 1. The fight sits in enterprise while ChatGPT leads with consumers.

Tech operators can leverage influencer-creator pricing intelligence as AI assistant competition intensifies

As the company tests creator promos for Copilot, rivals can use pricing data to cut spend. TikTok conversion averages 0.46%, and CPM (cost per thousand impressions) runs 30% lower than Facebook at $3 to $15 4.
Vendors should track which creators drive installs since Microsoft has shared no Copilot conversion data despite millions of views.
Attribution platforms and ad-tech (advertising technology) can help AI teams measure creator-led sign-ups against search or social. Utility apps see TikTok CPC (cost per click) from $0.20 to $2.00 4.
B2B (business-to-business) SaaS teams should watch if creator buzz nudges workplace demand for Copilot and opens freemium (a free tier that upgrades to paid) paths.