Microsoft has ignited a firestorm of criticism from its vast user base after pushing through a controversial rebrand of its legendary Office software suite. The tech giant has renamed the core application to 'Microsoft 365 Copilot', a move that has left many of its 400 million users worldwide frustrated and bewildered.
A Sudden Change for a Software Giant
Users of the productivity suite, which includes stalwarts like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, were recently greeted with a pop-up dialogue box announcing the shift. The message read: "Welcome to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. The Microsoft 365 Copilot app (formerly Office) lets you create, share and collaborate all in one place with your favourite apps now including Copilot."
This change marks the latest evolution for software first launched by Bill Gates's company in 1990. Copilot, the AI chatbot at the centre of the rebrand, was introduced in 2023 as a successor to Cortana, designed to help users automate tasks and generate content.
User and Expert Fury Erupts Online
The reaction from the software's loyal community has been swift and largely negative. Software creator and entrepreneur Peter Dedene led the charge, stating online: "RIP MS Office. RIP Microsoft 365. Now it's 'Microsoft 365 Copilot'. We're one rebrand away from Excel being a prompt box that says 'trust me bro, the math checks out'."
Other social media users were equally scathing. One compared the decision unfavourably to Elon Musk's renaming of Twitter to X, while another argued the brand was already diluted when 'Office' became 'Microsoft 365' back in 2020. A prevalent sentiment was summed up by a user who commented: "They spent decades building the most recognisable brand in productivity only to hide it behind a new AI label!... Most of us will probably still call it Office until the sun burns out."
Microsoft's Defence of the AI Pivot
In response to the backlash, Microsoft has clarified its position. The company stated the rebrand is to reflect the deep integration of its AI assistant across the platform. Gareth Oystryk, Senior Director of Marketing for Microsoft 365, sought to reassure users, explaining: "We have not made any recent naming changes to our Office apps. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint... remain unchanged."
He detailed that the 'hub' app was renamed to Microsoft 365 in November 2022 and then updated to Microsoft 365 Copilot in January 2025. The firm insists the new name signals the app's role as a unified gateway to both traditional productivity tools and AI-powered Copilot features.
Microsoft has advised existing users that the change should now be visible on web, mobile, and Windows platforms, recommending an app restart if it does not appear. Despite the company's justification, the rebrand highlights the tricky balance between leveraging hot new technology like AI and maintaining the heritage and user trust embedded in a globally iconic software name.
