Microsoft Copilot: Streamlining PowerPoint Presentation Creation
Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot, has emerged as a promising tool for swiftly generating PowerPoint presentations. It is designed to take your basic notes and transform them into a comprehensive presentation with just a single command. However, how does the final product stand up to scrutiny, and how accurate is it? This review explores the functionality of Copilot when applied to rough notes.
Getting Started with Copilot
To utilize Copilot in PowerPoint, a Microsoft 365 subscription is necessary. This subscription offers substantial value, as it includes full access to Office applications alongside 1TB of OneDrive storage. The Personal plan begins at $9.99 monthly, and Copilot is also available in Word and Excel, enhancing its utility.
Once you have the subscription, you can initiate Copilot by opening PowerPoint and creating a blank presentation. To access Copilot, simply click the Copilot button located at the top of the editing screen.
Crafting Your Presentation
When the Copilot interface opens, you will encounter a prompt inviting you to "Create a presentation about." At this stage, you will enter your desired topic, paste your notes, and press the Enter key. For example, if your notes concern "Six Sigma," your prompt could read:
"Create a presentation about Six Sigma based on the notes below."
After finalizing your input, click the "Generate slides" button in the bottom corner of the window.
If you need to add additional lines within your notes, pressing Shift + Enter will create a new line, while a single Enter keystroke will initiate slide generation. Within a few seconds, Copilot can create approximately 22 slides, with a maximum limit of 40. If fewer slides are preferred, it’s advisable to specify this limit in your original prompt.
Once you review the generated content and are satisfied, you can insert the slides into your presentation by selecting the "Keep it" option.
Design Aesthetic and Functionality
The initial design of the presentation is straightforward, featuring a white background, minimal text formatting, and stock images. While the layout is basic, it remains professional in its simplicity.
If you desire a more visually appealing presentation, further formatting and design work will be necessary on your part. Notably, generating an extra slide using Copilot will maintain this basic aesthetic, disregarding any individual styling choices made on previous slides.
Additionally, Copilot does not incorporate animations or visual enhancements; however, a fade transition is automatically applied to all slides. When prompted to enhance these animations, Copilot offered suggestions that required manual implementation.
Content Accuracy and Engagement
One aspect that stands out about Copilot is its ability to expand upon the rough notes provided, making the resulting presentation more engaging. The high-level overview generated was accurate and provided a solid foundation. Nonetheless, accuracy can vary based on the topic and the sources referenced.
It is prudent to verify the information produced by Copilot against credible sources, as these AI tools have inherent limitations and can sometimes produce errors. In the author’s case, there were instances where Copilot oversimplified certain concepts, necessitating corrections.
If any information appears awkward or incorrect, it’s straightforward to select the text box in question, click on the adjacent Copilot button, and choose "Auto-rewrite." Users can also request more succinct or professional language through the options in the Copilot menu.
Be aware that the use of Copilot is limited by your available AI credits. For personal plans, users receive 60 credits per month, which reset at the end of each billing period. You can monitor your remaining credits through the AI credit balance section of your Microsoft 365 account page.
Enhancing Your Presentation with Speaker Notes
An additional feature provided by Copilot is the generation of speaker notes for each slide, offering essential talking points. However, the initial notes may be brief. If more detail is required, users can simply click the Copilot button located in the Home tab and type "Add speaker notes to the presentation."
Within moments, the expanded speaker notes are generated and prepared for review, typically aligning well with the content of the slides.
Conclusion: A Reliable Assistant
Microsoft’s Copilot proves to be a valuable asset for those needing to create PowerPoint presentations efficiently. Although the design elements may not be particularly standout, the information presented can be accurate and engaging. This tool can be exceptionally beneficial for individuals facing tight deadlines while preparing presentations. Overall, Copilot combines convenience with a decent level of sophistication, making it a noteworthy addition to the Microsoft 365 suite.
