Artificial intelligence for PowerPoint – 2019 brings innovative update

Microsoft has recently published a video which announces a new feature. With this innovative function, presenting will be easier for you, especially in an international context.

Automatic subtitles and translation

As you can see in this video, the new function is designed to show anything you say as subtitles in the projection. These subtitles can even be immediately translated into another language.

According to Microsoft, 12 spoken languages will be supported, thanks to artificial intelligence. More than 60 languages will be available for translated subtitles.

New function also holds dangers

For you as a presenter, the big danger is obvious. There is more movement on your projection, new text will permanently appear. That is why the slides will distract even more from you as a presenter. First live tests will show the degree of disturbance that it will cause.

One question remains open

In fact, I would find it really exciting if the subtitles could be saved as well. If you wish, you could then have your spoken text documented in addition to your slides. It remains to be seen whether this will be possible.

This means for you

Primarily in an international context, if there is anybody who does not understand your language perfectly, this function can be very helpful.

Either:

You use subtitles in the language that you speak. This can help “non-natives” in case there are individual phrases that they have not understood.

Or:

You use translated subtitles. If there are individual persons in your auditorium who do not understand your spoken language, this solution can be a compromise.

Presentations in a foreign language are always a challenge. You can practice English talks in most of our German trainings, or you attend one of our English trainings in the first place.