Microsoft used its Ignite 2025 conference to unveil a wave of new AI tools for Microsoft 365, including dedicated Copilot agents and free Copilot Chat inside Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. But one understated announcement may end up being far more impactful: a major upgrade to automatic alt text generation, as reported by Neowin.
Alt text, the descriptive text embedded into images for screen readers, is essential for accessibility. It allows visually impaired users to understand what an image contains. Until now, Word and PowerPoint relied on Azure Vision to auto-generate basic descriptions, which often resulted in generic or unhelpful summaries.
Microsoft is now replacing that system with generative AI models capable of producing richer, context-aware alt text. Instead of a simple line like “Diagram of a house with solar panels,” the new models might produce something far more specific, such as a detailed breakdown of passive solar design features. For users who rely on screen readers, this shift could significantly improve clarity and accuracy.
There is one important change in workflow: instead of generating alt text automatically for every image, Word and PowerPoint will now require users to intentionally select “Generate alt text for me” under Picture Format > Alt Text. Microsoft says this gives document authors more control while still speeding up the most time-consuming part of accessibility work.
Perpetual (non-subscription) Office users should take note as well. Automatic alt text generation will no longer be enabled by default, though it can still be turned on manually through File > Options > Accessibility. Future perpetual versions will include the same generative AI system available to Microsoft 365 subscribers.
For now, the upgraded alt text feature is available to Microsoft 365 Insiders running Word and PowerPoint Version 2510 (Build 19328.20000) or newer. While it didn’t get center-stage attention at Ignite, this quiet update could end up being one of the most meaningful accessibility improvements Microsoft has made in years.