5-MINUTE LEARNING SESSION
Make Co-Pilot Work for You:
Choosing the Right Model
Auto, Quick Response, Think Deeper, and the GPT models. Which one to pick, and when to let Copilot decide.
GenAI Literacy Series
Where to Find the Model Picker
Open Copilot Chat. The model picker is the dropdown labelled "Auto" in the top-right of the chat window. Click it to see your options.
Response modes
Tell Copilot how much time to spend.
Auto
Decides how long to think
Quick Response
Answers right away
Think Deeper
Thinks longer for better answers
Specific GPT models
Pick the engine yourself. Found under "More" in the dropdown.
GPT 5.3 Quick Response
Fast everyday model. Newer than 5.2.
GPT 5.4 Think Deeper
Deepest reasoning. Best first drafts.
GPT 5.2 Quick Response
Legacy fast model.
GPT 5.2 Think Deeper
Legacy reasoning model.
If you don't see the picker: Microsoft is still rolling this out. The exact options also depend on your subscription and region.
How Auto Picks for You
Auto is the default. It uses something called dynamic model routing.
Your prompt
Whatever you typed
Auto router
Reads your prompt, decides complexity
If simple → Quick Response (fast model)
If complex → Think Deeper (reasoning model)
Signals that route to Quick
Signals that route to Think Deeper
Bottom line: Auto handles maybe 80% of everyday work well. Override it when speed or depth genuinely matters.
Quick Response
Answers right away. Same model Auto sends simple prompts to. Skip the routing decision when you already know what you need.
Drafting & rewrites
Example prompts:
"Polish this email so it sounds less stiff."
"Rewrite this paragraph in plain language."
Why Quick:
You know what good looks like. Don't need extra reasoning, need flow.
Translation & quick edits
Example prompts:
"Translate this paragraph to French."
"Fix the grammar in this sentence."
Why Quick:
Routine work where speed matters more than depth.
Quick Q&A
Example prompts:
"What does GCDocs stand for?"
"Who's the Director of [team]?"
Why Quick:
Factual answers you'd otherwise Google. Faster to ask Copilot.
Think Deeper
Spends up to ten seconds reasoning before answering. Better at multi-step problems, trade-offs, and longer context. Worth the wait when accuracy matters.
Trade-off analysis
Example prompts:
"Compare three vendors on cost, risk, and timeline. Recommend one."
"Should we phase this rollout or do it all at once? Pros and cons."
Why Think Deeper:
Multiple variables, no single right answer. Reasoning helps.
Strategy & planning
Example prompts:
"Draft a six-month rollout plan with milestones and risk flags."
"Help me think through the stakeholders for this initiative."
Why Think Deeper:
Output needs to be structured, defensible, and complete.
Synthesis across sources
Example prompts:
"Summarize these four reports and pull out the common themes."
"Read this 30-page document and tell me what's missing."
Why Think Deeper:
Long context. Pattern recognition across multiple documents.
When to Pick a Specific GPT Model
Most of the time, you don't. But here's what each one is good at if you want control.
GPT 5.3 Quick Response
Fast, current
The most current fast model. Better instruction-following and writing than 5.2. Pick this when you want speed but want the newest improvements over the older fast model.
Best for: Everyday drafting, summaries, quick rewrites where you want quality without a wait
GPT 5.4 Think Deeper
Deepest reasoning
The most capable reasoning model in the picker. Stronger first drafts on complex tasks. Better at long, multi-step work. Worth the extra wait when the output really matters.
Best for: Strategy documents, complex analysis, anything where you'd usually iterate three or four times to get it right
GPT 5.2 Quick Response
Legacy fast
Older fast model. Still works fine. Mostly there for consistency if you started a project on 5.2 and want the output to match.
Best for: Continuity with older work. Otherwise, prefer 5.3.
GPT 5.2 Think Deeper
Legacy reasoning
Older reasoning model. Solid on complex tasks but superseded by 5.4 Think Deeper for new work.
Best for: Continuity with older work. Otherwise, prefer 5.4 Think Deeper.
Quick rule: If you can't tell which model to pick, you don't need to. Auto handles it. Override only when you have a reason.
Decision Cheat Sheet
Match the task to the mode. If you're not sure, leave it on Auto.
Task you have in front of you
What to pick
Why
Polish an email before sending
Quick Response
Fast, no reasoning needed
Translate a paragraph
Quick Response
Routine work, speed wins
Quick factual question
Quick Response
Don't wait for reasoning
Compare three options with trade-offs
Think Deeper
Multi-variable analysis
Plan a project rollout
Think Deeper
Multi-step, structured output
Summarize a long document
Think Deeper
Long context, synthesis
Mixed bag of small tasks
Auto
Let the router decide
Not sure how complex this is
Auto
Default works most of the time
You can change the mode mid-conversation. If your first answer feels shallow, switch to Think Deeper and re-ask.
ACTION LIST
Before you close this tab
One session is enough to feel the difference.
1
Open Copilot. Click the dropdown in the top-right. See what's actually in your version.
2
Run a simple prompt on Quick Response. Run the same prompt on Think Deeper. Compare the answers.
3
Try one complex task on Think Deeper that you'd normally re-prompt three times. See if you get there in one shot.
4
Leave it on Auto for the rest of the week. Override only when you have a clear reason.
Picking the right model isn't about knowing GPT versions. It's about knowing whether you need a fast answer or a careful one.