Microsoft is making dictation easier and smoother in Windows 11…but only if you have the right hardware. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Fluid Dictation?
Fluid Dictation is Microsoft’s newest version of dictation (the technology that listens to you speak and turns your speech into typed text), now powered by artificial intelligence. Well, we should say by even more AI, since AI has been a part of dictation for a while now.
With Fluid Dictation, Microsoft says its dictation will get even better, intelligently eliminating verbal clutter (like ums and uhs, clearing your throat, repeating words, or misspeaking). And it’s going to do this using on-device AI, which means everything happens without recording your voice or sending that recording to servers somewhere.
Some Context on Dictation Up Till Today
Before we go further with Fluid Dictation, let’s back up a minute. If you haven’t used dictation features in the last few years, you should give them another shot. They used to be pretty rough, but dictation tools have been quietly (pun intended) improving behind the scenes for years.
Speaking from experience: if writing is a substantial part of your job and you ever end up with an arm in a cast or a sling, dictation can be a lifesaver.
Dictation tools already exist in all major operating systems. Your smartphone can dictate (maybe you’ve sent a text message by speaking it), and so can your computer (whether you’re using a Windows PC or a Mac). Some big software providers like Google have their own separate dictation technology, which can create some confusion (which tool do you use? What are the voice shortcuts for things like paragraph returns and punctuation?).
Go even further and there are some dedicated applications that can do even more with dictation. Professionals in jargon-heavy industries often rely on Nuance Dragon software to accurately transcribe complex text, like medical or finance content.
What’s Changing with Fluid Dictation
For everyday users, the tools already included in Word, Windows, or your smartphone OS are good enough to get the gist of it. But for polished business communication, you’ll still need to do a good bit of editing and formatting.
What Microsoft is doing with Fluid Dictation is stepping it up another level, using on-device AI to analyze what you said and what it transcribed, then more intelligently and aggressively correcting the transcription. You can even mispronounce words or use nonstandard grammar, and Fluid Dictation will clean it up into business-quality prose.
Real-World Use Cases
For some, this upgrade may sound like something generally nice to have but not particularly important. Maybe you’ve had bad experiences with older dictation tools and you’d just rather not use the tech. That’s OK — but don’t overlook how much value this creates for others, possibly including some of your team members.
- People with limited mobility: Dictation is already a huge help, but mouse-heavy cleanup and editing remains difficult. Fluid Dictation may eliminate or at least greatly reduce the need for this, allowing those with limited mobility to create polished content without lifting a finger.
- People with injuries, including RSI: Broken wrists, carpal tunnel, tendonitis, and many more temporary conditions make typing difficult. Fluid Dictation reduces reliance on keyboard and mouse.
- Workers in the field: Surgeons, auto techs, repair people, home services professionals, and many more cannot easily stop their work to type up a report. Better dictation could allow them to “speak” their report and receive a formatted final draft.
The Catch: Copilot+ PCs Only
Like other on-device AI features we’ve previewed, Fluid Dictation is limited to Copilot+ PCs only, at least for now. These are newer machines with specific hardware designed to support better on-device AI.
Fluid Dictation alone might not be enough reason to upgrade your fleet to Copilot+, but the sum total of all the on-device AI features in Microsoft’s pipeline might.
Got questions? Ready to upgrade? Reach out to our team.