Table of Contents
Summary
- Admins can configure separate retention policies for Copilots and AI applications, offering more flexibility in managing data retention.
- New controls allow for faster deletion of Copilot and generative AI interactions if necessary.
- This change affects organizations utilizing Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management for these interactions.
- Review and update retention requirements for Copilot and AI app interactions is recommended.
- Documentation and communication updates are advised for compliance and IT teams regarding these changes.
Admin Impact: Medium
User Impact: Low
Release Start: 15 Mar 2026
Release End: 01 May 2026
Services: Purview
Category: Stay informed
Tags: New Feature, User Adoption, Admin Action
History
2/25/2026 Item Added to Message Center
Microsoft Message
Introduction
We’re introducing the ability for admins to configure separate retention policies for Copilots and AI apps. This enhancement gives organizations more flexibility to manage retention and deletion timelines for Copilot and generative AI interactions.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 520388.
When this will happen
General Availability (GCCH): Rollout is expected to begin in mid-March 2026 and will complete by May 2026.
How this affects your organization
Who is affected: Admins managing Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management for Copilot experiences and AI apps.
What will happen:
- Organizations will now have controls to configure different retention policies for Copilots and AI apps under Microsoft Copilot Experiences, Enterprise AI Apps, and Other AI Apps.
- This feature provides options to delete Copilot and generative AI interactions faster if needed.
What you can do to prepare
- Review your organization’s retention requirements for Copilot and AI app interactions.
- Update internal documentation and communicate changes to your compliance and IT teams.
- Learn more about retention policies in Microsoft Purview: https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/compliance/retention-policies
- Automatically retain or delete content by using retention policies.
Compliance considerations
Question: Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, or accessed?
Answer: Yes. It introduces new retention policy options for Copilot and AI app interactions.
Question: Does the change modify retention policies, holds, or deletion workflows?
Answer: Yes. Admins can now configure separate retention timelines for these interactions.
Question: Does the change introduce or modify AI/ML capabilities that interact with customer data?
Answer: Yes. Applies to generative AI interactions managed under retention policies.