AI Assistants and Approaching Skeptics

In this edition: assistants inside Microsoft products and reframing AI mindsets.

This is Q&AI, our blog series aimed at keeping you in the know on updates in the rapidly evolving world of AI. Sometimes, these will be quick updates on new developments in the field. Sometimes, they’ll be tips on tactics, features, or functionality. 

If you haven’t met me yet, hi: I’m Jen Taylor, CI’s Director of AI Strategy & Implementation, and your (very human) AI BFF. AI is moving at the speed of light, so I’m here to let you know what matters most now. 

Q: I HAVE SEVERAL HIGHLY INTELLIGENT FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES WHO REJECT AI ENTIRELY. HOW DO YOU APPROACH THESE MINDSETS? 

A: I don’t think of my role as convincing people to change their minds! For me, it’s really about listening to where people are and what they’re thinking, and if possible, maybe offer some new perspectives or opportunities. I get why people would reject it! There’s a lot that is unknown! And I feel like in the media, a lot of the time, it’s either doomsday or just rosy glasses (we’re missing a lot of the conversation that falls in the middle). So when I talk to people who are resistant, I try not to argue, but to show them things that they might not have considered. 

One of my colleagues here at CI loves to write, so for her, the idea of AI coming in and writing stuff for her was really unappealing. But when I said, “What if instead of having the tool write it, YOU write it, you give it the tool, and it will give you feedback on what you’ve already written?” Being able to reframe the value for her, seemed to work.

Q: WILL WE EVER GET AN AI CLIPPY IN MICROSOFT PRODUCTS? 

A: No word on what aesthetic form it will take, but Microsoft is adding Claude models to Office 365 Copilot. At first, they’ll show up in Researcher (an agent) and Copilot Studio (for building agents). Until now, Microsoft only used OpenAI models, so this marks the start of model choice inside Office tools. That could mean better outputs and more competition to raise the bar.

Q: WHAT NEW AI TOOLS HAVE CAUGHT YOUR EYE? 

A: Perplexity just launched an Email Assistant for Outlook (and Gmail). Unlike past “inbox helpers” (which haven’t always landed well), this one is positioned more like an executive assistant—summarizing threads, handling scheduling back-and-forth, and letting you ask questions of your inbox (e.g. “What do I need to prioritize before tonight’s donor meeting?”). Worth watching as the tech matures.

your friend,
Jen

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