Microsoft OneDrive has introduced its latest wave of AI innovations, which it says will improve productivity at work and at home.
It added new Copilot features, as well as updates to its OneDrive platform and mobile app.
According to cloud storage service OneDrive, the changes can benefit everyone, from IT professionals working to maintain compliance to parents storing and sorting family photo albums.
Co-pilot agents
Copilot Agents, a personalized AI assistant, is coming to OneDrive. It will allow users to create their own assistants, automate and simplify tasks, then share agents with their team.
Copilot agents can search your documents, files and data to create a “powerful” and personalized assistant that knows all the details of your project before generating new content.
According to Microsoft, agents are simple to create and can be customized with individual names and icons.
Agents can automate processes when they receive requests like “summarize the latest budget numbers” or “show me the event agenda.”
Once the agent is created, it can then be shared with the team and used on OneDrive, Teams and SharePoint.
Even new team members can easily receive agents and use them with just one click, because they can be shared directly in Teams.
OneDrive for work
New OneDrive for Worker features include a “supercharged” web experience, which lets you quickly view, edit, and organize your files whether you’re online or offline.
An improved search function with new filter controls and better results will help you find the precise file or folder you’re looking for. By the end of the year, it will be available to commercial customers.
Starting today, Windows File Explorer will support colored folders, allowing you to organize your files by color.
The Document Library experience is being redesigned with more speed and flexibility for collaboration spaces and a simplified process for locating and creating custom views and filtering datasets.
Finally, users will be able to share files more easily, see who is working on a document, and add expiration dates to links for added security and privacy.
Co-pilot in OneDrive
Now available to all business customers, Copilot in OneDrive includes new Copilot actions such as faster file summaries, easy file comparisons, and responses to specific files.
Microsoft says OneDrive meeting summaries will be available next year for detailed highlights, key points and actionable insights. It also revealed the ability to convert files into presentations, allowing Word documents to become PowerPoint presentations.
OneDrive mobile app
The OneDrive mobile app has a “photos-first” mobile experience so you can easily navigate people, albums, and favorites. Android users will be able to enjoy the latest UX today, while iOS users will have to wait until November.
An improved photo search lets you search using natural language commands like “Sophia and her dog on a boat.” This feature has already started rolling out to Microsoft 365 customers and general availability to all users is expected by summer 2025.
More types of memory, from vacations to milestones, will be revealed by AI, and photo sharing will be made easier because, with just one click, it will be possible to send full resolution photos via popular messaging apps .
Security
To keep organizational data secure, OneDrive introduces an AI-powered Site Policy Comparison report, integrating Microsoft Graph Data Connect (MGDC), Restricted Content Discoverability (RCD), and the ability to archive files in your libraries of SharePoint documents.
The future of OneDrive
Microsoft announced upcoming OneDrive features, which include an AI-powered photo management experience from the mobile app, integration with Microsoft Designer for “effortless” editing, and custom views for grouping automatically files and photos based on various themes.
Copilot also extends to everywhere you work, such as SharePoint, Windows File Explorer, and macOS Finder, with features like Q&A, Catch-Up, and File Summaries and Comparisons.
In April, OneDrive was upgraded with several important new offline features to boost productivity and collaboration.
The same month also saw Microsoft deploy Copilot in OneDrivehaving launched Copilot for Finance the previous month.
