Microsoft beefs up Word, Excel, and Outlook with machine learning

Microsoft's Ignite conference starts today in Orlando, Florida, where the company is expected to announce updates across its product portfolio. More than a few were revealed this morning on the Microsoft 365 side of the business, which encompasses not only Office 365 products like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook but Yammer, OneNote, and OneDrive. A preview of Ideas in Word for the web is rolling out for Office 365 commercial users. It's an AI-powered proofreader that taps natural language processing and machine learning to deliver intelligent, contextually aware suggestions that could improve a document's readability. For instance, Ideas in Word will recommend ways to make phrases more concise, clear, and inclusive.