On Thursday, Microsoft announced an exciting new feature for Outlook that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help you create personalized themes based on your preferences.
This new AI-powered theme feature is available to users who have a Copilot Pro subscription, whether for personal use or through business accounts that have Copilot activated. You can access it on various devices, including iPhones, Android phones, Windows computers, Macs, and even through a web browser.
With this feature, called Themes by Copilot, you can design a theme inspired by over 100 different locations around the world, or you can create a theme that reflects your own local area. You also have control over how often the theme updates. For example, you can set it to change every few hours, once a day, weekly, or monthly, depending on your preference.
When you create a theme, you can choose how it looks. For instance, you can see it represented in a realistic style, like an oil painting, or in a fun cartoon style.
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Microsoft explained in their blog post that if you allow Outlook to access your location, the “My Location” theme will show images that are inspired by where you are. This means that as you travel or go on vacation, the theme will change to reflect the scenery of your current location. Similarly, if you choose a theme that is based on the weather, it will update to show the current weather conditions in your area, making your Outlook experience more dynamic and personalized.
You can now use AI-generated themes in Outlook by going to the Appearance Settings. This means you can customize the look of your email just like you might decorate your desk with pictures or candles.
Microsoft believes this new feature will help users make their email experience more personal and enjoyable. While it doesn’t add any new functions to Outlook, it does offer a fun way to express yourself in your email app.
Both Microsoft and Google have been working on incorporating AI features into their email services, but right now, Gmail doesn’t have these AI themes (although Chrome does). This gives Outlook users a bit more flexibility and creativity when it comes to how their email looks.
This announcement comes just one day after Microsoft introduced AI features for other applications like Notepad and Paint. For Notepad, they are rolling out a new “Rewrite” tool that helps you change how sentences are phrased, adjust the tone, or modify the length of your writing using AI.
In Paint, users will soon have access to new AI tools for editing images. One of these tools, called Generative Fill, allows you to make changes or add to your images by typing in text prompts. There’s also a Generative Erase feature that lets you remove things from your artwork that you don’t want.
These new features are being made available for users in the U.S., France, the U.K., Canada, Italy, and Germany who are part of the Windows Insiders program, which is a way for people to test out new features before they are widely released.
