Work more efficiently with the help of AI

AI is seamlessly integrated into many daily workflows, but keeping humans at the center remains crucial. 

“We really want you to be in the driver’s seat,” said Michael Holste, senior product marketing manager at Microsoft. “We want you to be able to use natural language when engaging with Copilot.”  

During Ragan’s recent AI Horizons Conference, Holste sat down with Mike Prokopeak, Ragan’s director of learning and council content, to discuss how AI is enhancing productivity and promoting creativity. 

Balancing automation with user control  

Holste’s biggest use case for AI is the ability to summarize meetings. Being able to see exactly when his name is called, action items that relate to his role and the executive summary of the meeting has accelerated his work. 

AI has also helped Holste save time with communication tasks such as creating editorial calendars, formatting and creating tables. 

“I often know what I need to put in the cells of the table but sometimes building that structure out can be so time-consuming for me,” said Holste.  

Though AI can automate these tasks, Holste emphasized that Copilot is designed to keep users in control. Humans can use natural language, refine AI-generated content and make final decisions rather than relying on AI alone. 

ROI on AI 

Holste said that Microsoft research revealed that their sales teams across different regions and countries spend up to 60% of their day in their Outlook inbox. 

But, with Copilot’s assistance, the teams were able to reclaim 20 to 30% of that time. 

“Being able to accelerate that and let them get back to what it is they do best helps the business and helps the employee,” said Holste.  

Watch the full power conversation below: