Microsoft 365 users will be able to use the AI-powered Copilot tool to analyze their OneDrive files starting this May. In a Microsoft 365 roadmap spotted by the folks at Neowin, Microsoft revealed that its AI-driven plans for OneDrive will let users ask questions and seek out information about their online files.
"Copilot in OneDrive, available on OneDrive for Web, will allow you to ask questions and get information from files in your OneDrive without having to open the files," Microsoft said in its roadmap. "It will also summarize one or multiple files. Copilot in OneDrive will work on the following file types: DOC, DOCX, FLUID, LOOP, PPT, PPTX, XLSX, PDF, ODT, ODP, RTF, ASPX, RTF, TXT, HTM, and HTML. Copilot in OneDrive requires a Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 license."
Also: Microsoft Copilot vs. Copilot Pro: Is the subscription fee worth it?
Launched last November, Copilot for Microsoft 365 uses AI to help you analyze and work with files in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and other apps in the suite. You can chat with Copilot to ask questions and submit requests about your files. But a subscription costs $30 per month.
In contrast, Microsoft's Copilot Pro plan can help you write and edit text, summarize documents in Word, generate formulas and analyze data in Excel, create presentations in PowerPoint, compose text in OneNote, and draft replies in Outlook. The Pro version doesn't include AI-driven access to Microsoft Teams and won't let you work directly with your OneDrive files on the web. But it is cheaper at $20 per month.
Also: Microsoft is bringing the power of sudo to Windows Server
The basic version of Copilot is also freely available with access via a dedicated website, a Taskbar icon in Windows 10 and 11, and iPhone and Android apps. But only the Pro and Copilot for Microsoft 365 versions let you work directly with your Microsoft Office apps and files.
As for OneDrive, Microsoft has been trying to revamp its file-sharing and syncing service as shown by a recent update. Now rolling out is a new look and layout for OneDrive on the web with options to filter your files by type, more easily create new files, and directly share your files with specific people.