Microsoft adds text predictions to Word next month

Microsoft plans to support text prediction in Word in March, according to the Microsoft 365 roadmap. Word predictions in Word, previously spotted by tech news site Neowin, will work similarly to Smart compose in Google Docs. Text prediction uses machine learning to suggest the word or phrase the author needs to type for faster text composition.

When text predictions are turned on in Microsoft, suggestions will appear in gray. To accept, press the Tab key or reject it by pressing Esc. Text predictions can also be completely eliminated.

Microsoft has not yet announced whether it intends to allow the text prediction to represent gender, for example ‘him’ and ‘her’. The company has not yet commented. Google Smart Compose, by comparison, made the call in 2018 not to suggest gender-based pronouns to prevent potential bias.

See also: 5 ways to lock your Microsoft 365 account and keep hackers out of account