[This is a sponsored article with Microsoft.]
Most of us who use AI chatbots are most likely self-taught since they’re meant to be intuitive to make use of.
You kind in your calls for, get it to provide one thing, tweak its solutions alongside the way in which, and enhance your prompts over time as you perceive what the AI can and can’t do.
It’s easy, proper?
So, once I was invited to an AI masterclass by Microsoft Malaysia (Microsoft) on utilizing Microsoft Copilot (Copilot), I couldn’t help however marvel: What might they train me that I didn’t already know?
What I already knew about Copilot
I’ve been conversant in how Copilot works throughout Microsoft 365 apps, from summarising key dialogue factors throughout a Groups assembly to creating glossy pitch decks in PowerPoint.
The thought behind Copilot is to help customers improve their productiveness, by serving to us give attention to the work that basically issues, as a substitute of the duties that bathroom us down.
I’ve seen these options highlighted in new Home windows laptops, some even with a devoted Copilot key.
However with Microsoft embedding Copilot so deeply into its ecosystem, I missed its personal chatbot. The workshop, nevertheless, confirmed me how Copilot might turn out to be the go-to productiveness assistant for content creators.
What stood out to me from the hands-on session
We have been arrange with Copilot-enabled units, able to dive in and get hands-on. We explored numerous use circumstances of Copilot, from on a regular basis duties to these particular to content creators, equivalent to:
Developing with recipes from leftovers in the fridge
Planning occasions and journeys
Producing posters with Microsoft Designer
Simplifying advanced ideas into easy-to-understand explanations
Brainstorming headlines and angles for a narrative
It’s fundamental stuff, the examples above.
However all through the demo, Celeste Bolano, Communications Lead at Microsoft Malaysia reminded us of important prompt-creating tricks to get the outcomes we needed.
She broke it down into three factors:
At all times have an motion for what you need Copilot to do
Present any related context or particulars
Tailor the supply for the way you need Copilot to craft your response
What stood out to me in explicit was how detailed Copilot’s content technology was.
After I examined it out for breaking down troublesome ideas, not solely did Copilot present the content I wanted, but it surely additionally included references and hyperlinks to the sources. This made fact-checking a breeze, guaranteeing I might confirm every little thing and resolve if the AI’s solutions have been correct.
As a content creator myself, fact-checking is a basic finest observe, even when AI is concerned. That is to make sure that the content we publish is factual and correct, and this characteristic made Copilot stand out in comparison with different mainstream chatbots.
The seamless integration throughout Microsoft’s ecosystem was additionally spectacular.
In one other demo, we used Copilot to plan a celebration. Taking the occasion thought and schedule prompt, we might simply switch every little thing to Microsoft Designer to create a poster.
The design parts—fonts, vectors, and so forth.—have been customisable, making it a helpful software for occasion planners or social media entrepreneurs needing fast designs that align with their copy.
As we performed round with the built-in design software program, although, one query caught with me: Are these AI-generated content protected to make use of?
What Microsoft needed to say about utilizing AI safely
AI is usually seen as both a game-changer or a possible menace, with individuals torn between pleasure and uncertainty concerning the implications of utilizing AI.
With moral and authorized issues in play, might publishing AI-generated content land creators in scorching water?
To this, Adilah Junid, Director of Authorized and Authorities Affairs from Microsoft Malaysia informed us, “We acknowledge that while transformative tools like AI open doors to new possibilities, they are also raising new questions.”
To elaborate, Microsoft incorporates provenance expertise in Copilot and Microsoft Designer, which allows the supply and provenance of generated content to be recognized. The corporate additionally adopts accountable practices when growing its AI instruments, as per the publicly launched Microsoft Accountable AI Normal.
Understanding the challenges that lie forward with AI, Adilah shared:
“At Microsoft, we are guided by our AI principles and Responsible AI Standard along with decades of research on AI, grounding, and privacy-preserving machine learning. We make it clear how the system makes decisions by noting limitations, linking to sources, and prompting users to review, fact-check, and adjust content based on subject-matter expertise.”
Adilah Junid, Director of Authorized and Authorities Affairs at Microsoft Malaysia
Keep curious, keep cautious
In a latest collaborative launch with LinkedIn, Microsoft highlighted in the 2024 Work Pattern Index that over 75% of information employees are already utilizing AI at work. This determine is even larger in Malaysia, with 84% of information employees already utilizing AI at work.
For context, information employees are those that apply analytical and theoretical experience, sometimes acquired via formal schooling, to develop services and products.
“Employees, many of them struggling to keep up with the pace and volume of work, say AI saves time, boosts creativity, and allows them to focus on their most important work,” the report detailed. As a author needing to remain inventive and switch concepts into articles, I can relate.
Exploring Copilot revealed simply how helpful generative AI can be for content creators.
However, as with every new software, it’s essential to make use of it mindfully and keep conscious of its potential affect. The long run with AI appears promising, but it surely’s as much as us to steer it in the correct course.
So, should you’re curious, give Copilot a go and see the way it matches into your inventive course of. It’s free to make use of on browsers like Chrome and Microsoft Edge, the one factor you’ll want is a Microsoft account to get began.
Be taught extra about Microsoft Copilot right here.
Learn different articles we’ve written about AI right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: Vulcan Submit
