Microsoft is rolling out changes to its Microsoft 365 Family and Premium subscription plans that will permit account holders to share artificial intelligence capabilities with up to five other people. Previously, only the primary account holder could access AI-powered features bundled into these subscriptions.
The expansion of shared AI access represents a significant shift in how Microsoft distributes its Copilot and related AI tools across household or group plans. The update aligns these subscriptions more closely with the shared nature of the broader Office apps and cloud storage components already included in Family plans.
However, the changes include adjustments to storage allocations. Rather than providing 1TB of OneDrive storage per individual account, Microsoft is consolidating this to 2TB of shared storage across the entire plan. Microsoft characterized this as providing greater flexibility for situations where individual members might exceed their standard allocation, though the modification effectively reduces total available storage for many multi-user plans.
Microsoft indicated that existing subscribers in certain markets may receive transitional bonus storage as part of the transition. The company is also preparing support measures for families with substantial storage requirements. The announcement comes approximately one year after the launch of Microsoft 365 Premium, a subscription tier priced at $19.99 monthly that combines Copilot Pro benefits with a Microsoft 365 Family plan. The updates to AI usage sharing could result in varying costs for subscribers depending on their Copilot usage patterns.
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