Microsoft (MSFT) announced that some of its most well-liked business apps, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, will use the new Copilot artificial intelligence features.
“Today marks the next major step in the evolution of how we interact with computing, which will fundamentally change the way we work and unlock a new wave of productivity growth,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement. “With our new copilot for work, we’re giving people more agency and making technology more accessible through the most universal interface natural language.”
Microsoft and OpenAI have a close working connection. Today’s news resulted from the company’s recent statement that it will increase its original $1 billion investment and its cooperation with OpenAI as well as make additional investments
The team aims to adhere to its AI Principles, as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized, and acknowledged that,” as with every new technology, it’s important to remain cognizant of the potentially negative consequences. “It’s about being also clear-eyed about the unintended consequences of any new technology,” he said. He stressed that Microsoft wants to use technology that enhances human productivity and that is aligned with human values.”
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
The announcement from Microsoft comes a month after it added comparable AI-powered features to Bing and in the midst of a new rush in the tech sector to invent and implement AI tools that have the potential to transform the way people work, shop, and create- and be more productive. Competitor Google revealed earlier this week that it will also add AI to its productivity applications, including Gmail, Sheets, and Documents.
The toolbar of the new Bing now has a chat start option that connects you to a ChatGPT-like conversational experience.
The announcement also comes two days after OpenAI, the organization that developed ChatGPT and is responsible for Microsoft’s artificial intelligence technology, presented its most recent model, GPT-4.
The emergence of generative artificial intelligence systems, best demonstrated by LLMs that can perform activities like produce images based on written prompts and have in-depth conversations with humans via chat interfaces, has captured the attention of the technology industry.
