Microsoft Excel, Word now let you chat to edit sheets, docs
Microsoft just rolled out Agent Mode for Excel and Word, letting you create and edit docs or spreadsheets using plain English.
Plus, the new Office Agent in Copilot chat can whip up PowerPoint slides and Word files automatically.
These AI tools are live now for Microsoft 365 Copilot, Personal, and Family subscribers in the US (web only for now—desktop is on the way).
Agent Mode and Office Agent explained
Agent Mode taps into OpenAI's reasoning models to handle complex tasks—think building financial reports or drafting documents with just a prompt.
It scored 57.2% on SpreadsheetBench, beating other AIs but still trailing human experts.
Meanwhile, Office Agent uses Anthropic's AI to better understand what you want and checks its work as it builds presentations or docs.
Takeaway
By blending OpenAI and Anthropic's tech into its core apps, Microsoft is making everyday tasks way easier—no coding or complicated menus needed.
If you're already using Microsoft 365 online, these features could enhance efficiency on your next project.