Microsoft recently announced the launch of its new AI-powered tool, Copilot, which is designed to help increase our productivity. Central to copilot's capability is the ability to create beautiful,dynamic PowerPoint presentations in seconds. Take a look at this sneak peak:
This could be a game-changer for teachers who want to create engaging and effective presentations, but who may not have the time or design skills to do so. As Microsoft's Jeff Teper stated in a recent interview with The Verge, "Our goal is to make it easy for anyone to create great presentations, regardless of their design or technical skills. With Copilot for PowerPoint, we're one step closer to achieving that goal."
As this video reveals, one of the fantastic features is the ability to generate a PowerPoint from another document, such as a PDF or word doc. This means you will be able to use Thinkalo's Lesson Wizard slide generator in conjunction with Microsoft to automate and create engaging presentations within minutes, not hours. Moreover, the tool may also help with accessibility features such as closed captions and alt text, making presentations more accessible for students with disabilities.
However, as with any new technology, there are potential drawbacks to using Copilot for PowerPoint. One concern is that the tool could lead to a loss of creativity in the presentation-making process. If teachers rely too heavily on the AI tool for design suggestions, it could lead to less original and personalized presentations. Another potential issue with the tool is that it may perpetuate biases in its design suggestions. If the AI has been trained on biased data, this could lead to a lack of diversity in the recommended design options, perpetuating stereotypes or cultural biases. This is a concern of AI in general, but it can spill over into visual designs. As such, it's important for teachers to remain mindful of the limitations of the tool and to use their own judgement when creating presentations.
Another potential limitation of the tool is that it appears to be restricted to using only stock or royalty-free images. While this may be suitable for certain presentations, as educators, we often have the flexibility to incorporate copyrighted material for educational purposes, provided that it is cited appropriately. In a recent test of the Canva AI presentation tool, we requested a presentation on the Film Noir genre. While the content was satisfactory, the images generated were all stock photos. Unfortunately, the tool was not able to access authentic images from actual Film Noir sets or screen photography, which could limit the quality of educational resources created using AI slide generator tools. Therefore, it is essential to consider legal and contextual barriers before relying solely on AI-generated content for creating educational resources.
While there are potential drawbacks to using AI technology in the presentation-making process, the benefits of tools like Copilot for PowerPoint are too great to ignore. By empowering teachers with design suggestions and accessibility features, Copilot for PowerPoint can help save time and make presentations more engaging and accessible for all students. As Microsoft's Jeff Teper noted, "We believe that every teacher should have access to the tools they need to create great presentations, and we're committed to making that a reality."
Have you tried any AI slide presentation tools. Did they work for you? Why/why not? Please comment and share your thoughts!