We’ve all seen the statistics about the undeniable rise of remote work and hybrid work. In fact, there’s even reports about some companies forcing their employees back into the office which would actually be a whole different discussion…
But back on the topic of virtual meetings, they have their virtues and they also have their challenges.
The average time workers spend in online meetings per week jumped from 14.2 hours to 21.5 hours over the past two years. Naturally, the number of virtual meetings, appointments and webinars we get booked in our calendars, have pushed us to find ways to ‘work smarter, not harder.’
That’s because unproductive meetings squander 24 billion hours annually.
Fortunately, Microsoft has announced their commitment to a strengthened its partnership with OpenAI through an impressive multibillion dollar investment. This comes with the highly anticipated release of Microsoft Teams Premium which will be powered by the latest version of GPT – the Open AI artificial intelligence engine and database on which Chat GPT is based. With plans to also introduce OpenAI features to their Microsoft Office suite, there’s much to be curious about in what this will mean for the transformation of the modern workplace and hybrid work.
Let’s dive into Microsoft Teams first.
OpenAI and Chat GPT at a glance
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company, with the mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.
ChatGPT is the AI chatbot developed by OpenAI which utilises large language models and learning techniques to produce human interaction in a conversation tone. With a range of potential use cases to improve day to day productivity, creativity and efficiency, we expect a wave of big changes to come changing how we work and learn.
What to expect with Microsoft Teams Premium powered by Open AI's Chat GPT?
Quite simply, more intelligent, personalised and protected meetings through AI transformation.
Let’s say you’re in a scenario where you didn’t quite catch what one of the meeting participant’s announced but feel too awkward to ask?
Or perhaps you are trying to take notes down but can’t keep up with the pace of the meeting.
Different time zones or miscommunication may result in you missing virtual meetings too.
In fact, ask any person in a room and they would share an awkward or inconvenient experience when it comes to virtual meetings.
That’s okay.
The new Microsoft Teams Premium offers a range of features such as notes, mentions and full transcripts to take advantage of. With intelligent recap in Teams premium, you’ll get automatically generated meeting notes, recommended tasks, and personalised highlights to help you get the information most important to you, even if you miss the meeting. One step further, you can become even more organised, with each participant’s contributions highlighted in a clear timeline of titles, topics and chapters. You can also get personalised timeline markers when meeting participants join or leave the meeting.
Security’s a hot topic right now so let’s not forget the advanced meeting protection features being introduced to Microsoft Teams Premium.
These features include watermarking and labeling sensitive content during virtual meetings, or the ability to restrict users from recording meetings and copying text from the meeting chat. If you need to maintain privacy during discussions or prevent leaked information, these features will be particularly useful for your organisation’s departments.
FACT: These plans have been in the making since 2020, with Microsoft being the first company to officially license Open AI Chat GPT for inclusion in its own lineup or products and services.
Sounds great, but is it a must?
Four in five home workers now attend more meetings than they did in the office.
The best way to get most workers (64%) excited about a meeting is to plan it well.
For the most part virtual meetings are also hear to stay, and play a critical part in generating inclusivity amongst diverse teams, achieving business goals and also supporting sustainable business processes, with less time being spent on the road and increased mindfulness about carbon footprint. Artificial Intelligence continues to be a talking point within the industry and for good reason in it’s transformation of modern work tools. Whilst we wait eagerly to see what the future of Open AI Chat GPT will continue to bring, today’s growing demands for improved business outcomes, are met with the ready solution of Microsoft Teams Premium which might as well just be what your employees have been waiting for.
Speak to our team today about how your organisation can start benefiting from Microsoft Teams Premium.