Microsoft Adds Automatic Alt Text to Word and PowerPoint on Copilot+ PCs

Microsoft continues to expand Copilot across Windows and Microsoft 365, and new accessibility-focused upgrades are now rolling out to Word and PowerPoint. According to a recent Microsoft 365 Insider blog post, Copilot+ PCs now support automatic alt text generation for images, helping users create more accessible documents with less effort.

On-device AI powers faster and more private accessibility features

The new feature relies on the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) built into Copilot+ PCs, which delivers more than 40 TOPS of AI performance. Instead of sending images to the cloud, Word and PowerPoint generate alt text directly on the device. This approach improves processing speed, protects user privacy, and reduces power consumption during AI workloads.

Once you insert an image into a document or presentation, Word or PowerPoint automatically suggests alt text. The description appears at the bottom of the image, where you can accept it immediately or open the Alt Text pane to adjust the wording.

Works for new and existing images

Microsoft also designed the feature to handle existing content. You can select any image and generate contextual alt text through the Picture Format > Alt Text menu. Another option sits under Review > Check Accessibility, where the Missing Alt Text tool prompts Copilot to create a suitable description.

Users who prefer manual control can disable the feature at any time. Open File > Options > Accessibility and uncheck the AI alt text option to turn off automatic generation.

Automatic alt text generation already ships to Microsoft 365 subscribers running Version 2512 (Build 19530.20006) or newer on a Copilot+ PC. With this update, Microsoft strengthens its push toward on-device AI while making Word and PowerPoint documents more accessible by default.

That’s not all, and Copilot was recently updated to support real-time text editing, but unfortunately, this feature is only available to Insiders.

Milan Stanojevic

Windows Toubleshooting Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.

Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.