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Generative AI in Word

Quickly create first drafts, rewrite content, and summarize your documents with AI in Word.

What is generative AI in Word?

Generative AI in Word refers to Microsoft 365 Copilot or, more specifically, Copilot in Word. It uses AI to help people write, edit, and understand documents more easily by drafting content, adjusting formatting, improving flow, and summarizing information.

Benefits of AI in Word

The AI in Word goes beyond just being a tool—it can actually transform the way you work by increasing efficiency. Here are some of the main benefits of using AI in Word:
 

  • Fine-tune your work. Beyond the traditional editing features that most people associate with Word—like spellcheck and grammar check—AI in Word can help improve quality by adjusting your content the way you want. For example, “Make this paragraph simpler to understand.”
  • Save time. Instead of spending a lot of time writing a first draft from scratch, tell Copilot in Word what you want to write about and have it create an initial draft for you. Then you can focus on refining the content to be exactly what you’re looking for and avoid barriers like the notorious writers’ block. 
  • Boost creativity. Sometimes staring at a blank screen feels overwhelming. Jump-start the writing process by asking for ideas and suggestions for content. And if you get stuck later, Copilot in Word can come up with different ways to structure or phrase a section, which might spark your own new ideas. 
  • Support collaboration. Working on a document with many reviewers can be tricky when people’s edits start making the piece sound like it was written by different authors. To fix this, ask AI Word to maintain a unified tone and style across the document. 
  • Summarize complex documents. Some types of writing, such as legal contracts, business reports, and technical documents, are hard to navigate for nonexperts. When you need to read something that’s beyond your understanding, use a prompt to simplify things: “Summarize this document for me like I’m a 12-year-old.” 
  • Keep documents consistent. Maintaining consistency in large documents can be an important quality control factor. Just ask Copilot in Word to make a change throughout a document to keep things uniform.

Features of AI in Word

Here are some of the key features and capabilities of Copilot in Word:
 

  • Content generation and context-aware suggestions. Copilot can generate text based on your instructions. Or if you're stuck on what to say next, Copilot can give you ideas to help you move forward—all while taking into account what’s already been said.
  • Formatting assistance. Instead of spending time on manual formatting, ask the AI in Word to apply consistent styles and layouts throughout your entire document.
  • Data merging. Pull in data from other Microsoft 365 apps, like Excel or PowerPoint, to seamlessly create tables, charts, or other visuals in your Word document.
  • Enterprise-grade security. Data security is a top priority for businesses, especially when it comes to AI tools. With the enterprise-grade security in Copilot in Word, your prompts, responses, and data are encrypted when stored. They aren’t used to train language models, including those used by Copilot.
  • Research and reference assistance. If you need to back up your writing with facts or figures, have AI in Word help you find relevant information and add it into your document.
  • Document summarization. Quickly create summaries of long documents to get the main points without reading through the entire text. 
  • Smart search. Instead of manually looking for specific information in a lengthy document, ask Copilot in Word to locate specific sections, keywords, or data points. 
  • Create images. AI in Word can generate images for documents based on a description of what you’re looking for.

How to use AI in Word

To get started using AI in Word, follow these steps:
 

  1. From the Home tab, select Copilot. (If you don’t see Copilot, you’ll need to add it to your Microsoft 365 subscription.)
  2. Type instructions for what you’d like Copilot to help you with or select a suggested prompt.
  3. Select Send (the paper airplane icon) or press Enter on your keyboard.

If you’re unsure what you want Copilot to do, consider trying one of these prompts:

  • Create a job description for a senior animation designer.
  • Explain this document in three sentences.
  • What does this document say about [topic]?
  • List the pros and cons of [topic mentioned in document]. 
  • Create an image of [description].
  • Draft a template for managing team members’ shifts.
  • Based on [linked file], generate an FAQ for Contoso Travel. Include questions for current customers as well as people considering the product.

Tips and related resources

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Draft and add content with Copilot in Word

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Elevate your content with Copilot in Word

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Chat with Copilot about your Word document

Explore the different kinds of questions you can ask Copilot to find the information you need.
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Frequently asked questions about AI in Word

  • Copilot in Word was evaluated through extensive manual and automatic testing on top of Microsoft internal usage and public data. More evaluation was performed over custom datasets for offensive and malicious prompts (user questions) and responses. In addition, Copilot in Word is continuously evaluated with user online feedback. 

  • To use Copilot in Word, select the Home tab. Then choose Copilot. If you don’t see Copilot as an option, you’ll need to add it to your Microsoft 365 subscription.

  • Copilot in Word generates content based on language patterns it has found throughout the internet. Sometimes its results will be very similar to existing internet content. Or Copilot might generate the same or very similar content for multiple people who are prompting Copilot in the same way. 

    For example, everyone who instructs Copilot to “create a recipe for apple pie” is likely to wind up with identical or nearly identical content. When originality is a concern, check for similarity to online sources (on the Home tab, go to Editor and scroll down to Similarity).

    If you’re using Copilot at work, it can also search internally to pull relevant information from your organization.

  • Copilot in Word helps people write, edit, and understand documents more easily by drafting content, adjusting formatting, improving flow, and summarizing information. It can pull information from online or reference work documents and resources.

  • Copilot and Microsoft 365 are built on Microsoft's comprehensive approach to security, compliance, and privacy.

    For more information about privacy, see the following information:

  • Get AI in Word by subscribing to a Microsoft 365 Copilot plan.

  • To get the best results from Copilot in Word, consider these tips:
     

    • Provide context. Get stronger results by providing background for what you’re asking for. Beyond simply stating what you want, mention the format you’d like to receive it in (such as length and tone), who your audience is, and what your goals are.

    • Experiment and be curious. Don’t be afraid to try different prompts or styles—Copilot adapts to your needs, whether you’re looking for a simple summary or an in-depth analysis. Play around to see what works best.

    • Keep the conversation going. Interact with Copilot as you would in a conversation with a colleague. Provide details and feedback to refine the results.

    • Understand AI is often “usefully wrong.” Copilot’s suggestions might not always be perfect, but they can spark new ideas. Use them as a starting point.

    • Always fact check. Verify the information Copilot generates, especially for accuracy and tone, to maintain credibility.

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