In today’s global workplace, language barriers can slow down communication and collaboration. But with AI-powered features coming soon to Microsoft Teams, that is about to change. Microsoft is introducing real-time AI speech-to-speech translation and enhanced multilingual transcription, making it easier than ever to work with international teams, clients, and partners.
AI-powered interpretation in Teams with Copilot
Microsoft Teams will introduce real-time AI-powered interpretation, The Intepreter agent. This means that during a meeting, when someone speaks in one language, AI will translate their words and play them back in another language all while keeping the original speaker’s tone and intonation as natural as possible. Voice simulation required the presenter to register their voice pattern in Teams. The feature will require a Microsoft 365 Copilot license to access the preview that should be out now according to Microsoft.
I have attached a link to a YouTube video showing how it works.
At launch, this feature will support nine languages – Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish and Microsoft is expected to expand this list over time.
This feature removes the need for human interpreters or manual translations, making international meetings more efficient. Instead of relying on written transcripts or delayed interpretation, participants can now experience instant, spoken translations, allowing for smoother, more dynamic conversations.
Multilingual meeting transcriptions
Microsoft Teams is taking transcription to the next level with a new feature announced on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, participants can now set their own spoken language during meetings. Previously, Teams required a shared spoken language to generate a solid transcript, but not anymore.
This is a game-changer for multilingual teams. Combined with the Interpreter Agent I mentioned above, Teams meetings just got a whole lot more inclusive!
At my workplace, this is a real challenge. My manager, who is from Finland, prefers to speak English, while the rest of us respond in Swedish. The result? Transcription struggles, Copilot summaries get confused, and meeting notes become messy. This update will hopefully fix that as transcripts will reflect the actual spoken languages used, making summaries and insights more accurate than ever.
Some examples where this can be especially useful:
- Global teams who regularly conduct meetings across different regions.
- Companies expanding into international markets that need to collaborate with local partners.
- Multinational corporations with diverse internal teams. Employees from different departments and regions can communicate more effectively, reducing misunderstandings and improving productivity.
- Employees who prefer to read along while listening – whether to better understand the conversation or to aid comprehension in a second language.
- Training sessions and town halls for diverse audiences. A global training session can be held with speakers from different countries, and attendees can follow along in the language they are most comfortable with.
How does this improve global collaboration?
For many companies, language barriers are a real challenge. Important details can get lost in translation, and misunderstandings can cause delays, mistakes, or even lost business opportunities. With these new AI-powered features in Teams, Microsoft is helping to remove those obstacles and make communication smoother.
With these new features in Teams, organizations can communicate faster and more clearly. Instead of waiting for a presentation to be transcribed and then translated, participants can hear and read the content in real time. Sure, it won’t always be 100% perfect, but that’s just how it works. Meetings will also be more inclusive, allowing team members who speak different languages to fully participate without feeling left out.
Microsoft’s AI-driven interpretation and multilingual transcription features are an important step forward for businesses working across borders. These tools will start rolling out in early 2025, and we can expect continuous improvements and support for more languages over time. For now, these updates bring us closer to a way of working that is more connected, inclusive, and efficient, where language is no longer an obstacle, but a bridge to better collaboration.
What are your thoughts? Will this help you in your organization? Please comment below.
