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Microsoft has been rolling out a number of good, interesting features to a broad spectrum of products lately. However, this one we're not quite as sure about.
On paper, it certainly looks interesting. The idea is that if you have a Word Document, at the touch of a button, you can transform that document into a PowerPoint presentation, complete with AI-selected digital assets.
Given the overall strength of Microsoft's AI when it comes to predictive typing, this has the potential to be a pretty handy feature, but there are a couple of caveats.
First and foremost, it's not widely available yet. You have to be a member of the Windows Insiders group to get early access and experiment with it. Second, and perhaps more telling is the fact that Microsoft opted not to release a demo showing the new feature in action.
While the first point is standard practice, the second gives some industry experts a momentary pause. Normally, when a company announces a bold new feature, they're eager to show it off to the world. In the case, absent a demo, we are left wondering how effective the AI is at selecting digital assets appropriate to the topic of the document you're transforming. That remains to be seen.
It's an unquestionably interesting idea, and even if the first iteration of its execution leaves something to be desired, we hope that Microsoft will stick with it and make incremental improvements until it lives up to expectations. At present, we're guardedly optimistic about this one. It sounds great and if it works as advertised, it could be a real time saver. The absence of a demo, however, makes us wonder if it's as robust as it could be at this point.
Time will tell. In any case, kudos to Microsoft for extending their Office Suite in a new and interesting way. We'll reserve final judgment until we can see it in action.
