Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot, is learning to do two important new things. It will soon be able to remember information you share with it and connect to your files in Google Drive. These updates will make Copilot a much more personal and helpful tool for your daily tasks. Think of it as upgrading your assistant from someone who needs constant reminders to someone who already knows your work and where you keep your files. This change is designed to make your interactions with AI smoother and more efficient.
A Copilot That Remembers You
An AI assistant is most useful when it understands you. You should not have to explain the same things over and over again. Microsoft is building a “Memory” feature into Copilot so it can remember key details you choose to share. This is similar to a feature already available in other AI tools like ChatGPT, and it’s a big step toward making Copilot feel like your assistant.
The idea is simple. You can tell Copilot things to remember. For example, you could say, “Remember that I am a project manager for the Alpha team, and our main goal this quarter is to launch the new app.” Copilot will store this fact. The next time you ask for help with a project update, it will already know your role and context, saving you time and effort.
Right now, the feature is in its early stages. Some users might see a “Manage memory” option. This lets you tell Copilot to remember things, but it does not give you a way to see or edit what it has stored. Your only option is to go into the privacy settings and delete all memories at once. This is like asking a friend to remember something but not being able to check their notes, and your only choice is to have them forget everything they have learned about you.
A more advanced memory system is on its way. Soon, you will have a dedicated page to manage everything Copilot remembers. On this page, you will be able to:
- See all memories: You can look at a list of every fact Copilot has saved about you.
- Add new memories: You can manually add details you want it to know without having to state it in a conversation.
- Edit memories: If information changes, like a new project goal or a different role, you can update the memory.
- Delete memories: You can remove specific pieces of information that are no longer relevant, giving you complete control over what the AI knows.
This level of control is important. It ensures the AI has accurate, up-to-date information, making its assistance more relevant. It also gives you the power to protect your privacy by deciding exactly what is stored.
Connecting Copilot to Your Files
Many people store their work and personal documents in the cloud. To be truly helpful, an AI assistant needs to be able to access those files with your permission. Microsoft is expanding Copilot’s ability to connect with third-party services, starting with one of the most popular: Google Drive.
This feature is called “Connectors” or “Connected apps.” It acts as a bridge between Copilot and other applications you use. By turning on a connector, you give Copilot permission to read information from that app to help answer your questions. Microsoft has already started testing this with its own OneDrive service for some users. The addition of Google Drive will make this feature useful to a much larger group of people.
Once you connect your Google Drive account, you can ask Copilot to perform tasks that involve your documents. This opens up many new possibilities for how you can use the AI.
For example, you could ask Copilot to:
- “Find the presentation file named ‘Q4 Marketing Strategy’ in my Google Drive and give me a summary of the main points.”
- “Look in my ‘Project Blue’ folder for all documents related to the budget and list the total expenses.”
- “Read the meeting notes from yesterday’s file and create a list of action items for me.”
Copilot can use the content from your files in its “Deep Research” mode, which is a feature that performs more thorough searches. This means you could ask it to write a report based on several research documents you have saved in a specific Google Drive folder.
Microsoft is starting with OneDrive and Google Drive, but more services are expected to be added in the future. It is possible that while basic connectors will be free, connections to more specialized professional apps could become part of the paid Copilot Pro subscription. These updates are planned to be available across all platforms where you use Copilot, including on the web, in Windows 11, and on your phone.