Microsoft Word reveals ‘Ideas’ to use AI to improve writing

Never mind spellcheck, there will soon be another helpful feature to support struggling writers.

Microsoft Word has revealed plans to use AI to improve writing. This new feature will go beyond the usual grammar fixes that many users have relied upon for years.

It is understood that, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, writers will be given insightful suggestions on how to improve their content.

This could be the rewriting of awkward sentences, or even alterations to guarantee language is gender inclusive. While you can currently search for a synonym of a word, it is thought that they will now be suggested too.

Overall, Word will propose a range of ways to make writing more concise, whether it’s relating to layout or the use of alternative phrases.

So, what has Microsoft Word said about using AI to improve writing?

This exciting new development was announced at Microsoft’s Build developer conference in Seattle, the BBC report.

It is understood that a test version of ‘Ideas’ will go live in June. There are then plans to make it more accessible later in the autumn.

Microsoft has revealed plans to use AI to improve writing. Credit: Pexels/Pixabay

Ideas will initially only be available for users of Word Online and will be cloud-based.

Microsoft clarified the changes further in a blog post titled ‘How AI is making people’s workday more productive’. John Roach’s article looked at the wider debate around AI in general, before welcoming Microsoft’s new tool.

“Writing requires a dash of uniquely human creativity,” the blog post began. “Artificial intelligence alone cannot do it for us, at least not very well.

“But AI can – and already is – helping us do things like make sure we spell words correctly and use correct grammar.

“As the AI in these products is becoming more sophisticated, they are helping us do more than spot a misspelled word.”

A video further explaining the new tool was also launched with the article. To read the full copy and find out more about the specifics of the development, click here.

Final thoughts

This news comes following Google’s declaration that it will also bring in an AI writing feature for Google Docs. Like this product, it is set to be much more than just the average grammar-checker.

Microsoft’s announcement has also generated a lot of debate and intrigue. On the whole, many see this as something that can only be a positive.

Here's how we're making your work day more productive with #AI: https://t.co/PbbsbxUkS8 #MSBuild https://t.co/PbbsbxUkS8

— Microsoft (@Microsoft) May 6, 2019

Of course, you will get people who say that it is giving poor writers an unfair advantage in some cases. But there are still some people that say spellcheck is a bad thing, and we all know how much of a lifesaver that is!

Experts and critics, overall, believe that it will not compromise human creativity. There is also a discussion on where these advancements in writing support could end. It seems it has already come a long way since simple predictive text, and that was pretty big at the time!

To stay on top of these developments, and the latest trending news in the world of tech, stay tuned to the FileHippo News Blog.