At its annual “Build 2023” conference, Microsoft made major announcements concerning the integration of AI into its products. More than 50 updates for developers were announced, ranging from OpenAI integration to Bing, the rollout of Microsoft Copilot as well as Microsoft Fabric … In this article, we’ll explore these new features and their benefits for businesses and individuals.

Stay with us to find out how AI is at the heart of Microsoft 365 and how it’s shaping the big news of 2023-2024.

Microsoft 365 Copilot: an intelligent assistant for your software

. One of Microsoft’s big announcements is the integration of its generative AI called Microsoft 365 Copilot into its various office software applications. This is a system that allows users to interact with the AI almost as they would with a human assistant, using simple text queries.

Here are some examples of what you can ask Copilot to do : 

•  Reply to an e-mail
• Send invitations to a group of people
• Create a budget proposal
• Compare sales of your product with that of the competition
• Summarize the meeting you missed

Copilot then fetches the necessary information from your documents, contacts, photos or the web, and generates a first draft that you can then modify or refine. Copilot is based on the GPT-4 AI model developed by OpenAI, which is capable of producing coherent, relevant text from any invitation. (Microsoft, 2023) 

Copilot offers many benefits: 

• Saves you time by automating repetitive or tedious tasks
• It helps you optimize the quality of your documents by suggesting corrections or improvements
• Inspire you with new ideas or original wording
• It trains you by teaching you tricks or shortcuts to make the best use of your software. 

Microsoft 365 Copilot should be available in the next few months for Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Teams users, depending on your license.

💡If you’d like to find out more, take a look at our webinar replay. (In french only)

GPT-4 in Bing: a lever for business 

Microsoft has integrated GPT-4, the new version of OpenAI’s generative AI interface, into its Bing search engine. GPT-4 is capable of processing text and images, and performs as well as humans in many professional and academic contexts. This integration improves the quality of search results and offers a more interactive and personalized search experience.

Here are a few examples of company-wide use:

• Information retrieval: GPT-4 can help companies find relevant information on the web quickly and efficiently. For example, a company can use GPT-4 to search for information on the latest market trends, competitors, new technologies, etc.
• Customer service: GPT-4 can be used to improve customer service by providing accurate and relevant answers to customer questions. For example, a customer may ask a question about a product or service, and GPT-4 can provide a detailed answer based on information available on the web.
• Data analysis: GPT-4 can help companies analyze large quantities of textual data, such as customer comments, blog posts, research reports and so on. For example, a company can use GPT-4 to analyze customer feedback and obtain data on customer satisfaction, product problems, etc.

The advantages of using GPT-4 in Bing for businesses are numerous:

• Time savings: GPT-4 can automate many tasks that are normally time-consuming, such as information retrieval, data analysis and so on.
• Improved quality of service: GPT-4 can improve the quality of customer service by providing accurate and relevant answers to customer queries.
• Informed decision-making: Data obtained through GPT-4 data analysis can help companies make informed decisions.

Fabric 

Microsoft has launched Fabric, a unified data platform for professionals. It enables data from different sources, such as Excel, Power BI or Azure, to be managed, analyzed and visualized. This platform facilitates data-driven decision-making and improves the efficiency of business processes.

Here are a few examples of company-wide use:

• Reporting: Fabric makes it easy to create interactive, customized reports from data in a variety of applications. For example, a company could use Fabric to create a report on sales, expenses, customers, etc., combining data from Excel, Power BI and Azure.
• Real-time collaboration: Fabric makes it possible to share and modify data in real time with colleagues, partners or customers. For example, a company can use Fabric to collaborate on a project with another company, sharing and commenting on common data.
• Data visualization: Fabric lets you visualize data in a variety of ways, including tables, graphs, maps and more. For example, a company can use Fabric to visualize geographical data, such as the distribution of its customers by region, or temporal data, such as the evolution of its revenues by month.

The benefits of using Fabric for business are manifold :

• Simplified data management: Fabric enables data from different sources to be centralized and synchronized, avoiding duplication, errors or inconsistencies.
• Improved data analysis: Fabric lets you apply AI functions, such as anomaly detection, prediction or classification, to data to extract useful insights.
• Increasing the impact of data: Fabric enables data to be presented in an attractive and convincing way, using visuals adapted to the context and audience.

 Microsoft Designer 

Microsoft Designer is another major innovation. It’s an AI tool that helps users create professional presentations by suggesting layouts, images and icons suited to the content. This tool can help save time and improve the quality of presentations.

Here are a few examples of company-wide use:

• Logo creation: Designer makes it easy to create professional, original logos for your company. Simply enter your company name, business sector, colors and style, and Designer presents you with several AI-generated logo options. You can then customize them with icons, fonts and effects.
• Flyer creation : Designer lets you create attractive and effective flyers to promote your company, products or events. Simply choose from one of Designer’s templates, or start from scratch, and fill in the necessary information. Designer suggests images, text and layouts to suit your content and purpose.
• Creating presentations : Designer lets you create captivating, professional PowerPoint presentations. Simply type in your slide title and text, and Designer suggests AI-generated visuals, graphics and animations. You can also use Designer to add 3D effects, transitions and sounds to your presentation.

The advantages of using Designer for business are numerous :

• Time-saving: Designer lets you create quality visuals in minutes, without the need for design or graphic skills.
• Enhanced brand image: Designer lets you create visuals that are consistent and harmonious with your corporate identity, using the right colors, fonts and graphic elements.
• Increased message impact: Designer enables you to create attention-grabbing visuals that effectively convey your message, using images, text and layouts tailored to your audience and purpose. 

In short

The advances in artificial intelligence announced by Microsoft for 2023-2024 promise to significantly transform the way we work, communicate and make decisions. These innovations demonstrate Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to harnessing artificial intelligence to make our working lives more efficient, creative and meaningful. The breakthroughs of 2023-2024 pave the way for exciting new opportunities and smoother collaboration, reinforcing our confidence in the future of technology for business.