Meeting made easy: Microsoft’s AI can now attend on your behalf

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NEW YORK, Oct 21, (Agencies): A ChatGPT-style AI assistant, developed by Microsoft and integrated into its office apps, will be accessible to all users from November 1st, following successful trials.

Microsoft 365 Copilot offers the ability to summarize meetings held in Teams for individuals who opt not to attend. It can also assist in drafting emails, creating Word documents, generating spreadsheet graphs, and developing PowerPoint presentations in a matter of moments.

Microsoft envisions this tool as a means to reduce monotonous tasks. However, some express concerns that such technology might lead to job displacement, and there are worries that businesses could become overly reliant on AI-powered assistance.

Furthermore, the current form of this technology may face challenges related to new regulations governing AI, particularly regarding transparency when content is generated by non-human entities. Both Europe’s AI act and China’s AI regulations stipulate that individuals should be aware when they are interacting with artificial intelligence as opposed to humans.

Colette Stallbaumer, head of Microsoft 365, emphasizes that it is the responsibility of users of Copilot to provide this clarification. She states, “It is a tool, and users have the responsibility to use it responsibly.”

Nonetheless, the EU asserts that it is the responsibility of AI tool developers to ensure responsible use.

This AI system uses the same technology that underlies ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI—an organization in which Microsoft has made significant investments. The demonstration took place on the laptop of Derek Snyder, a Microsoft staff member, as Copilot is embedded into an individual’s account, providing access to their data, whether personal or business-related. Microsoft ensures that data is securely managed and not utilized for training the technology, in line with data policies.

The initial impression of Copilot is that it will be a valuable tool, particularly for individuals engaged in office work. It demonstrated the capability to swiftly summarize a lengthy email chain related to a fictional product launch and suggested concise responses. Users can select from a drop-down menu to extend or personalize the response, with the Chatbot generating warm and expressive replies. Users can then choose to edit the email or send the AI-generated version, with no indication in the email that it was generated with Copilot.

The tool also demonstrated the ability to create a multi-slide PowerPoint presentation within about 43 seconds, using the contents of a Word document. It can incorporate embedded images from the document or search its own royalty-free image collection. Additionally, it generated a suggested narrative to accompany the presentation.

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