Is Microsoft Copilot accurate?
Microsoft Copilot sits mid-pack: 37% of its news answers had a significant issue in the EBU/BBC study, and it repeated false news claims 36.67% of the time in NewsGuard's audit.
Short answer
Microsoft Copilot is about as accurate as ChatGPT on news, and no better. In the EBU/BBC study, 37% of Copilot's news answers had a significant issue. NewsGuard found it repeated false news claims 36.67% of the time. It handles quotes well. Check its sources.
Results
- Independent study
- News audit
| Test | What was measured | Result | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBU/BBC News Integrity in AI Assistants | Share of Copilot news answers with at least one significant issue (675 responses) | 37% | Source 1Independent study | |
| EBU/BBC News Integrity in AI Assistants | Copilot responses with direct quotes that had quote problems | 4% | Source 1Independent study | |
| NewsGuard AI False Claims Monitor | Rate of repeating provably false news claims | 36.67% | Source 2News audit | |
| Tow Center AI search citation test | How Copilot behaved when asked to name the source of a news excerpt | Declined more questions than it answered | Source 3Independent study |
What these results mean
Copilot lands in the middle of every test that included it. In the EBU/BBC study, journalists judged news answers from four assistants, and Copilot came third, one point behind ChatGPT (EBU and BBC, 2025-10-21). Its strong spot was quotes: only 4% of Copilot responses that quoted someone had quote problems, the fewest of the four.
In NewsGuard's August 2025 audit, Copilot repeated false news claims 36.67% of the time, the same rate as Mistral and close to the 35% average of 10 chatbots (NewsGuard, 2025-09-04). NewsGuard also found Copilot citing content from the Pravda network via VK.
The Tow Center test showed a different habit. Copilot was the only one of eight AI search tools that declined more questions than it answered (CJR, 2025-03-06). Declining is less useful than a right answer, but it is safer than a confident wrong one. ChatGPT Search, by contrast, never declined in the same test and got 134 of 200 source lookups wrong.
Copilot is middling on news accuracy, careful with quotes, and more willing than its rivals to say it cannot answer.
Where Copilot goes wrong
News answers
37% of its news answers had at least one significant issue in the EBU/BBC study. Across all four assistants, sourcing was the most common fault.
Repeating false stories
It repeated false news claims in 36.67% of NewsGuard's prompts.
Pulling in poor sources
NewsGuard flagged Copilot for citing Pravda network content via VK in its August 2025 audit. A source being linked does not make it trustworthy.
Not answering
In the Tow Center test, Copilot declined more source lookups than it answered. That avoids errors but leaves you to do the work.
Copilot uses web search to answer. NewsGuard found that live search made chatbots answer more often, and repeat more falsehoods, as they pulled in whatever the web was saying.
How it compares
Each table uses one test only.
EBU/BBC News Integrity in AI Assistants (2025-10-21): news answers with a significant issue
| Assistant | Result |
|---|---|
 Perplexity | 30% |
 ChatGPT | 36% |
| Microsoft CopilotThis page | 37% |
 Google Gemini | 76% |
Source: EBU and BBC. Copilot placed third of four, a point behind ChatGPT and well ahead of Gemini.
NewsGuard AI False Claims Monitor (2025-09-04): rate of repeating false news claims
| Chatbot | Result |
|---|---|
| Gemini | 16.67% |
| Microsoft CopilotThis page | 36.67% |
| ChatGPT | 40% |
| Average of 10 chatbots | 35% |
Source: NewsGuard. Copilot did slightly better than ChatGPT and much worse than Gemini. The prompt set per chatbot is small, so treat gaps of a few points as noise. The overall order is on the most accurate AI assistants.
How to check Copilot's answers
Open the linked sources
Copilot shows links next to its answers. Confirm each one says what Copilot says.
Check who published each source
NewsGuard caught Copilot citing Pravda network content. Prefer the original publisher or official record.
Search a surprising claim plus "fact check"
If a debunk exists, it will usually show up.
Take a refusal as a prompt to search yourself
When Copilot declines, go to a search engine or the primary source directly.
Verify figures and dates in the original document
before you paste them into work.
The full routine is on how to fact-check an AI answer. How sources are weighed is on how we score AI accuracy.
Sources
- Independent study
- News audit
- Independent study
Questions
Is Microsoft Copilot always right?
No. Copilot is right more often than not on news, but far from always. In the EBU/BBC study published on 2025-10-21, 37% of its news answers had at least one significant issue. In NewsGuard's August 2025 audit it repeated false news claims 36.67% of the time. Check any fact you plan to use.
Is Copilot reliable for research?
Copilot is a reasonable starting point, not a source. It cites links, handles quotes well, with quote problems in only 4% of quoting responses in the EBU/BBC study, and sometimes declines rather than guesses. But NewsGuard found it citing Pravda network content. Read each source it links before you cite anything.
Does Copilot make up sources?
Copilot can cite poor or misleading sources. NewsGuard's August 2025 audit found it citing Pravda network content via VK. In the Tow Center test, Copilot more often declined to name a source than gave a wrong one, which is the safer failure. Open every link and check who published it before you trust it.
Is the paid version of Copilot more accurate?
Not by default. The Tow Center found premium AI search tiers gave more confidently wrong answers than free ones in its March 2025 test of eight tools. A paid plan can change features and limits, but the checks stay the same. Open the sources and verify the key facts whichever plan you use.
How do I check a Copilot answer?
Open each link Copilot shows and confirm the page contains the claim. Check that the publisher is the original source, not a copy or a site with a record of false stories. Search surprising claims with the words "fact check". When Copilot declines to answer, go straight to the primary source. Verify numbers and dates before you use them.
