Microsoft Teams reaches a new milestone: An AI interpreter capable of reproducing your voice

Microsoft wants to abolish the language barrier on its Teams meeting platform by introducing a new AI feature: real-time translations which not only reproduce the words but also reproduce the person’s voice. Ahead of its Ignite conference, the annual event for developers and IT professionals, Microsoft announced a new “Interpreter” agent for Teams that provides real-time voice interpretation during meetings.

The feature is designed to allow participants to communicate with others in their native languages, and the ability to simulate voice is intended to create more engaging interactions.

The Teams interpreter function available in early 2025

Users activate the feature manually during a meeting and choose their preferred listening language. When the speaker speaks, a similar voice is heard speaking the selected language. The feature will be available in public preview in early 2025.

Separately, Microsoft is extending language-focused AI capabilities to PowerPoint with its Copilot AI feature. Users will soon be able to translate presentations into 40 languages.

Copilot goes strong in PowerPoint

The company also announced other upcoming updates to Copilot, including the ability for users to request a quick summary of anything shared onscreen during a PowerPoint presentation or from a shared link in a conversation, without needing to open the content. Microsoft is also improving summary capabilities, including a way for users to add speaker notes to slides.

« We’ve significantly improved Copilot’s performance, responses are twice as fast on average and response satisfaction is nearly three times higher, and we’ve delivered hundreds of new features “, says Microsoft. “ And we’re adding new value to Copilot to tackle the biggest problems in work and help every employee increase their impact, from automating repetitive tasks to managing your calendar. »