Last Updated:
Microsoft is adding some useful tools powered by AI to get more people to use Teams over Meet and Zoom.
Real-time translation could be really useful for meetings.
Microsoft revealed at its annual Ignite 2024 conference that it will be implementing a new interpretation feature that will allow real-time language translation in Teams meetings. This AI-powered solution will enable more inclusive meetings by enabling participants to talk and listen in the languages of their choice.
A more engaging and natural experience is produced by the interpreter feature, which uses speech-to-speech translation to mimic a participant’s voice in a different language.
Up to nine languages will be supported upon launch, including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish. A preview of this feature will be accessible in early 2025. “This agent in Teams helps users overcome language barriers by enabling real-time, speech-to-speech interpretation in meetings. Available in public preview in early 2025, meeting participants will also have the option to have the agent simulate their personal voice,” said the company in a blog post.
The transcription tool that will soon support multilingual meetings and provide transcripts in up to 31 languages is one of the other AI-powered improvements coming to Microsoft Teams. Regardless of their native language, this feature will make it simpler for participants to follow along and go over meeting material.
“Other agents in public preview take real-time meeting notes in Teams and automate project management from start to finish in Planner,” the blog added.
Along with the standard transcript and chat summaries, Microsoft will also test Teams’ comprehension and recapping capabilities for any visual content that was provided onscreen during meetings from PowerPoint or the web in early 2025.
Additionally, the company has introduced an Employee Self-Service Agent in Business Chat that can be used to swiftly respond to frequently asked policy enquiries and facilitate the completion of important activities, beginning with IT and HR. Employees can use it to request a new laptop or learn about their perks, for example.
Moreover, the Facilitator, which takes notes in Teams meetings and chats in real-time, and the Project Manager, which automates the construction of plans and even finishes tasks in Microsoft Planner, are examples of additional agents. While other agents in Business Chat are in public preview, the Employee Self-Service Agent is in private preview.
