Microsoft unveils Copilot Agents: an AI-powered business assistant

As another step up in Microsoft's AI game, the company has unveiled a new tool for commercial customers to enhance their online experience using Microsoft's services.

Announced as an integration with OneDrive, Copilot Agents are AI-powered assistants that can be customized to meet specific needs, automating repetitive tasks and providing intelligent support. By creating a Copilot Agent, users can compile relevant files, documents, and data into a shareable assistant with comprehensive knowledge about the project.

Think of it as having a personal AI assistant designed to understand and answer everything about work. This would make it great for condensing large volumes of documents or information in mere minutes.

According to Microsoft, it can answer questions on specific files without having to open every single file and combine information from multiple file types to answer whatever question is posed to it.

Although not a lot, Microsoft promises users will get more features as time passes. One feature already in the pipeline is "Meetings recap" directly in OneDrive. In other words, your Agent would generate detailed highlights and key points, and even organize them into actionable insights right on OneDrive.

This could make collaboration between team members easier as important pieces of information become easier to compile and access.

Notably, these features are quite similar to a feature Gemini announced a while back, Gems, your personal AI tutor. It also allows you to train it based on work information so it can answer any question you may have about work. Unlike Copilot Agents that's meant to be an add-on for OneDrive though, Gems operates as an extension of Google's AI chatbot, Gemini.

In addition to Copilot Agents, Microsoft announced a series of quality-of-life improvements to OneDrive. The app has undergone a significant performance boost, enabling users to view, edit, and organize files with increased speed and efficiency.

To make it easier to find the exact file or folder you need, the enhanced search experience now includes filter controls and more detailed results. The company also introduced coloured folders in Windows File Explorer, which adds a touch of personalization and helps users stay organized.

For businesses, OneDrive has introduced new features like the Site Policy Comparison Report and Microsoft Graph Data Connect, improving collaboration and security. On the personal front, OneDrive's refreshed mobile app focuses on photos, with enhanced search, sharing, and backup options.

Right now, it seems Microsoft has much in store for its users as it promises many more updates to other Microsoft apps. In the meantime, premium users can continue to benefit from a new AI tool designed to boost productivity.