Microsoft is set to enhance its cloud storage service, OneDrive, with generative AI capabilities resembling those of its existing AI product, Copilot. A leaked teaser video hints that these features could potentially streamline file organization and improve file retrieval.
Copilot, blending advanced generative AI with nostalgic elements from Clippy the Office Assistant, has been an integral part of Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. However, it has remained absent from OneDrive. But this might change soon, as inferred from the teaser video.
The video showcases a sample AI search query in OneDrive – “Help me get organized.” Although it doesn’t explicitly detail how Copilot would assist in organization, it gives a sense of Microsoft’s AI vision for OneDrive. This includes intuitive organizational tools and a more advanced file search mechanism, even if users can’t recall specific file locations or names.
Interestingly, the video hints at an official announcement on October 3, aligning with Microsoft’s Power Platform Conference. It’s anticipated that the event might spotlight these new OneDrive features.
While Copilot offers increased productivity for Microsoft 365 apps, accessing its advanced AI tools comes at an additional cost of $30 per user per month on top of the Microsoft 365 subscription.
Emulating Microsoft’s pricing, Google charges a similar rate for its Duet AI for Workspace accounts, enabling users to craft emails in Gmail or drafts in Google Docs using AI prompts. However, such advanced features haven’t yet been integrated into Google Drive.