During a recent event, Microsoft unveiled its new AI “Co-pilot” feature, which will soon be available to Microsoft 365 users. The Co-pilot will assist users in editing, summarizing, creating, and comparing documents. However, this new feature is unlike the old Clippy, the anthropomorphized paperclip. Instead, it is built on the same advanced technology that powers ChatGPT and is more powerful.
With the Co-pilot, users can transcribe meeting notes during a Skype call, quickly draft suggested replies by summarizing lengthy email threads, request a specific chart in Excel, and convert a Word document into a PowerPoint presentation in mere seconds. These innovative features will undoubtedly streamline work processes and boost productivity.
Microsoft has also brought a concept of business chat. This is an agent that works with the user and analyzes their Microsoft 365 data to provide useful insights. The agent can understand what’s on the user’s email and calendar for the day, the documents they’ve been working on, the presentations they’ve been making, and the people they’re meeting with. It can also monitor chats happening on their Teams platform.
This new business chat option enables users to easily come across some of the most hectic business tasks, i.e., writing a status report with summarization. It can also draft an email that could be sent to their team with an update. This will undoubtedly help users be more productive and efficient in their work.
According to a Microsoft spokesperson, users of Microsoft 365 who access the new AI tools should be aware that the technology is still in development, and information generated by the AI should be double-checked. While OpenAI has made significant improvements with its latest model, GPT-4, it still has some limitations that previous versions also had. Microsoft has acknowledged that the AI can still make “simple reasoning errors” and be “overly gullible in accepting obvious false statements from a user.” Furthermore, it is essential to note that AI does not fact-check.
Despite these limitations, Microsoft is confident that the changes will significantly improve people’s work experience. These AI tools will make tasks easier and less tedious, freeing users to be more analytical and creative. This development is set to bring a new level of innovation and productivity to workplaces everywhere.
Discover a new way of working with Microsoft 365 Copilot—next-generation AI capabilities embedded in the Microsoft 365 apps you use every day. Learn more: https://t.co/fqTtN1tRVQ pic.twitter.com/gNjCQfGkdz
— Microsoft 365 (@Microsoft365) March 16, 2023
