Microsoft Integrates Copilot AI into OneDrive for Web, Raising Privacy Concerns

Microsoft 365 subscribers just can't escape Copilot, now available in OneDrive for web

Summary Copilot now available in OneDrive for web Available for all Microsoft 365 subscribers Access limited to "owner" in Microsoft 365 Family plan It's no secret that Microsoft's flagship AI assistant, Copilot, has received a lukewarm reception from the Windows community. Recently, a Windows 11 bug that automatically removed the AI assistant from the operating system was actually celebrated. It is also widely agreed that the rebranding of Microsoft 365 to Microsoft 365 Copilot has to be among the worst branding decisions the company has made since its inception. With the AI agent now available in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more, it seems like there is just no escaping it, especially for Windows and Microsoft 365 customers. To further cement this understanding, the Redmond tech firm has now launched Copilot for OneDrive for web users. Copilot in everything you touch In a blog post, Microsoft has announced the availability of Copilot in OneDrive for web. It is important to note that this integration has already been available for commercial Microsoft 365 customers since September 2024, but it is now making its way over to Family and Personal subscribers. Microsoft is championing Copilot as a "companion" which you can lean on to boost your productivity. Copilot on OneDrive for web offers various functionalities. This includes a collective summarization of up to five selected documents, comparing the content of the same number of files in a tabular format, and answering questions related to your OneDrive content in a dedicated chat window on the sidepane. Copilot for everyone, but not your family members It is quite interesting to note that even though Copilot is available in OneDrive for Microsoft 365 Family subscribers, only the "owner" (that is, the one footing the Family bill) of the former subscription is allowed to leverage Copilot. Apparently, Microsoft doesn't think that the cost of Microsoft 365 Family is high enough to warrant all family members getting access to Copilot, for better or for worse. The integration is now rolling out for OneDrive for web customers, and if you log in to the platform, you'll likely come across the following notification: New! Copilot included in your Microsoft 365 plan Microsoft 365 is now enhanced with Copilot, our powerful AI companion that makes completing tasks a breeze. Your subscription unlocks AI credits to experience Copilot across Microsoft 365 apps and beyond. Copilot in OneDrive may take up to 48 hours to become available. Microsoft has cautioned that while "most" users should have access to Copilot in OneDrive fairly soon, the rollout will continue until June 2025.

Do you want Microsoft Copilot sniffing your OneDrive files? Too late

Allowing AI to sniff your cloud files may seem a little creepy, but Microsoft says it will only work with your authorization. Many Windows users look down on OneDrive and Copilot alike, so the combination of the two might seem like the worst of all worlds. Expect the new Copilot for OneDrive to be equally polarizing. Microsoft is launching Copilot for OneDrive for the Web, which has been exclusively a feature for business users until now. Today, Microsoft begins rolling it out to consumers -- on the cloud, and not on your PC. Many PC users detest Windows' OneDrive function, which launches, slurps up your data, and begins sending it to the cloud -- taking up CPU cycles and broadband bandwidth. Copilot is really just a glorified app at this point, and not overwhelmingly useful even in the cloud. Anything that Microsoft deems a productivity boost for Copilot is often hidden behind a subscription. (In this case, it is as well: Copilot for OneDrive is only available with Microsoft 365 Personal or Family, and only by the person who pays that bill.) Microsoft said Thursday that if you meet those criteria, it's going to be turning on Copilot for OneDrive automatically for users over the next several months, through June. A related FAQ doesn't seem to indicate that you'll have any choice in the matter, either, although Microsoft claims that it will only work on the files you specify: "Copilot uses your files and files that you have permission for to provide you with insights on your content," the FAQ says. "Copilot can only be activated on the files that you select in OneDrive." Microsoft is pitching Copilot as a tool to enable certain features, some of which do appear to be useful. There's the ubiquitous summarization, for one, which would allow you to upload a copy of a lease agreement and have Copilot summarize it. Copilot can also compare documents using AI -- deduplication programs can also do the same to tell you which file is larger or more recent, but Copilot will do this analytically, examining the contents of a document. Naturally, you can also query a document, to "ask" some healthcare paperwork what would happen if you couldn't pay your bill on time. There are some limitations: you can only compare five documents at a time, and they have to be documents (Office files like .DOC and .PPT file formats, Web pages, or M365 formats like .LOOP files) and not pictures or encrypted files. Microsoft will also charge you for using Copilot, via its "AI credits." Each use of Copilot deducts one AI credit, and Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers receive 60 AI credits per month. It sounds like Microsoft intends for Copilot to not have access to specific files until you authorize it. But that probably won't satisfy privacy-conscious users who are concerned about Microsoft going through their digital closet.