Word turns 40, and Microsoft will enhance it with some great new features

Word is bound to become a platform for content creation&consumption.

by Flavius Floare

Flavius is a writer and a media content producer with a particular interest in technology, gaming, media, film and storytelling. He enjoys spending time in nature and at… read more

Updated on October 25, 2023

Microsoft Word was released back in 1983, which means everybody’s favorite text-editing app turns 40 this year, and the Redmond-based tech giant is up for a celebration of it, according to the company’s latest blog post.

What is a celebration without reminiscing the great moments of the app’s existence, Microsoft does just that. In its 40 years of life, Microsoft Word has become one of the most used office tools in the world, says Microsoft, and somehow, the app is just starting.

For example, Microsoft will get AI capabilities next month, with the arrival of Copilot in the platform, effectively enhancing and emphasizing users’ creativity and productivity alike. Copilot promises a new era for document editing, but we’ll have to wait and see.

But this is not all, though. To celebrate 40 years of existence, Microsoft will be releasing a series of new updates to the Word, and by the looks of them, we’re excited. Check them all out below.

How old is Microsoft Word? 40, and young enough to get exciting features

Microsoft says Word will get features that will transform the app into a content creation and consumption platform. That means users won’t only be able to compose, write, and edit their documents, but read them there too.

Here’s what Microsoft says we should expect to see in Word moving forwards:

• Shepherding in the age of AI: Copilot provides a fundamental shift in writing & reading experiences. Our goal is to continuously iterate on feedback we get from you, our users, as you create and read content, while leveraging Copilot across platforms and devices.
• Make your words shine with Word for the web: We’re continuing to invest and innovate in Word for the web to make it a great creation and consumption tool. This includes using your feedback to prioritize our areas of investment.
• Write better together: Word has been at the center of collaborative content creation since its inception. Over the years, we’ve made it easier to co-create with others, provide feedback, exchange ideas, and produce quality content. We’re committed to providing a consisted experience and ensuring that Word remains THE place to efficiently create, edit, and review content, matter where you are, who you are working with, or what device you’re using.
• Extensibility as a customization driver: We are committed to giving Word developers the tools and capabilities they need to build amazing experiences and support custom workflows.
• Word as your favorite consumption app: It’s not just about content creation. Word is a great place to read the documents that matter to you, on any device, wherever you are.

For how long have you been using Microsoft Word? What are your experiences and opinion of it, now that the tool turns 40?