Harvard Medical School licenses health content to Microsoft for Copilot AI
Harvard Medical School has signed a licensing agreement with Microsoft, giving the tech giant access to its consumer health content on diseases and wellness topics, the university confirmed Wednesday. The deal, made through Harvard Health Publishing, aims to integrate verified medical information into Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant.
A licensing fee will be paid to Harvard, though financial details were not disclosed. The content will enhance Copilot’s ability to provide accurate, evidence-based health insights, complementing its existing productivity tools like Word and Outlook.
The partnership is part of Microsoft’s broader push to reduce reliance on OpenAI’s models, which currently power much of its AI infrastructure. The Wall Street Journal reported that the new version of Copilot, expected to launch this month, will include Harvard’s content to deliver more reliable answers on medical and wellness topics.
Microsoft has also begun integrating Anthropic’s Claude and is developing its own AI models as part of a strategy to diversify its AI portfolio.
By combining Microsoft’s generative AI with Harvard’s trusted medical expertise, the partnership seeks to make health information more accessible and reliable for everyday users while maintaining accuracy and academic integrity.