Microsoft adds presentation coach to PowerPoint

Microsoft is adding a presentation coach to PowerPoint, which provides feedback as users practice their presentations. The coach works on the basis of artificial intelligence and speech recognition.

Microsoft wants to use the assistant to give users feedback while practicing their presentations. The coach provides visual feedback on speaking speed and on the use of potentially offensive words. The coach also provides comments when the speaker literally reads the slides. At the end of the exercise, a report will follow with any points for improvement.

According to Microsoft, the Presenter Coach only appears in a practice mode and not if users do not request it. The new feature will be available in the web version of PowerPoint sometime this summer, and will also come to the desktop and app versions of the software package at a later date.