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microsoft launches vibe working in excel and Microsoft has unveiled a new feature called “Agent Mode” in its Office applications, aiming to revolutionize how users interact with Excel and Word through AI-driven capabilities.

microsoft launches vibe working in excel and

Introduction to Agent Mode

The concept of “vibe coding” has gained traction in recent years, allowing novices to create applications by simply providing AI prompts. Microsoft is now extending this idea to its Office suite with the introduction of Agent Mode. This innovative feature is designed to generate complex spreadsheets and documents based solely on user prompts, making advanced functionalities more accessible to a broader audience.

According to Sumit Chauhan, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Office Product Group, “Today we’re bringing vibe working to Microsoft 365 Copilot with Agent Mode in Office apps and Office Agent in Copilot chat.” He emphasizes that just as vibe coding has transformed software development, the latest reasoning models integrated into Copilot will enhance productivity in creating Office artifacts.

Capabilities of Agent Mode

Agent Mode represents a more advanced iteration of the Copilot experience that Microsoft has been gradually integrating into its Office applications. This new feature aims to simplify complex tasks in Excel and Word, making them more manageable for users who may not be experts in these tools.

Enhanced Functionality in Excel

In Excel, Agent Mode allows users to create sophisticated spreadsheets with ease. Chauhan explains, “It’s not just simple assistive short answers, but board-ready presentations or documents.” This means that tasks typically reserved for skilled professionals, such as first-year consultants, can now be completed in a matter of minutes.

Agent Mode operates by breaking down complex tasks into manageable steps, utilizing OpenAI’s GPT-5 model to execute each phase of document creation. This process is akin to observing an automated macro in real time, with a sidebar displaying the actions being taken. This transparency not only enhances user understanding but also builds trust in the AI’s capabilities.

Accuracy and Validation

Microsoft has taken a cautious approach to integrating AI into Excel, particularly due to the critical nature of the data it handles for businesses globally. Chauhan assures users that “[Agent Mode] lets you build sheets that are auditable, refreshable, and verifiable.” The company has invested significant resources into ensuring that the validation loop for all sub-agents is robust.

In terms of performance, Agent Mode in Excel boasts an accuracy rate of 57.2 percent on SpreadsheetBench, a benchmark for assessing AI models’ ability to edit real-world spreadsheets. This performance places Agent Mode ahead of competitors like Shortcut.ai and ChatGPT’s agent with .xlsx support, although it still falls short of human accuracy, which stands at 71.3 percent.

Innovative Features in Word

Agent Mode in Word extends beyond the existing AI features for writing, rewriting, and summarizing. Chauhan describes it as transforming document creation into “vibe writing,” an interactive and conversational experience. This allows Copilot to draft content, suggest refinements, and clarify necessary elements throughout the document creation process.

For instance, users can generate a monthly report by pulling data from previous months, with Copilot summarizing the highlights and differences from earlier reports. “Copilot makes suggestions to keep the process flowing, so writing feels more like a dialogue than a task,” Chauhan adds, highlighting the feature’s potential to streamline workflows.

Office Agent in Copilot Chat

In addition to the enhancements in Excel and Word, Microsoft is also launching an Office Agent that operates outside of its traditional Office applications via Copilot chat. This feature, powered by Anthropic models, can generate complete PowerPoint presentations or Word documents based on user prompts in a chat format.

Transforming Presentation Creation

Chauhan notes that PowerPoint is one of the most widely used tools for creating presentations, yet AI has often struggled to deliver satisfactory results in this area. “Office Agent changes that,” he asserts. The Office Agent can produce fully structured PowerPoint decks while conducting web-based research and providing a live preview of slides, thereby enhancing the user experience significantly.

This capability is particularly relevant in a landscape where numerous AI tools are vying to assist users in creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Microsoft aims to differentiate its offerings by providing a more integrated and effective solution.

Strategic Partnerships and Model Integration

The introduction of Office Agent also marks a significant entry point for Anthropic AI models within Microsoft 365 apps and services. Microsoft has previously embraced OpenAI’s technology to enhance various features, including GitHub Copilot and Copilot Studio. Now, Anthropic’s models are being utilized to generate Word and PowerPoint documents through Microsoft’s Copilot chat interface.

Chauhan emphasizes Microsoft’s commitment to OpenAI while also exploring the strengths of different AI models. “We are starting to explore with the model family to understand the strength that different models bring and understand how we build the best composition for our products,” he explains. This approach indicates a strategic flexibility in leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies to enhance user experience.

Cloud Infrastructure and Deployment

Interestingly, Microsoft is using Anthropic’s API to integrate these features into Copilot chat, which operates on Amazon Web Services (AWS). This raises questions about the future integration of Anthropic’s models into desktop Office applications, as they have not yet been deeply embedded in that environment.

Availability and Future Prospects

Agent Mode in Copilot for Excel and Word is available today for users enrolled in the Frontier program for Microsoft 365 Copilot customers, as well as Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers. Initially, this feature will be accessible only in the web versions of Excel and Word, with desktop support expected to follow soon.

Furthermore, the Office Agent is also available today for users in the Frontier program, enhancing the capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot customers and Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers in the United States.

Conclusion

With the launch of Agent Mode in Excel and Word, Microsoft is positioning itself at the forefront of AI-driven productivity tools. By simplifying complex tasks and enhancing user interaction through conversational AI, the company aims to make its Office suite more accessible and efficient for a diverse range of users. As Microsoft continues to innovate and integrate various AI models, the future of productivity within its Office applications looks promising.

Source: Original report