Microsoft Office Introduces AI Agents in Excel and Word

Microsoft is introducing AI agents to Excel and Word, offering new features that allow users to instruct an AI-powered assistant to generate documents. This marks a significant step in Microsoft's efforts to integrate AI into its business operations.

The company initiated the current AI trend in the tech industry by launching Bing with Copilot in early 2023. Later, Microsoft integrated a Copilot AI agent into Windows 11, enabling users to interact with it for tasks like changing system settings.

The latest update introduces a new Office Agent within Copilot, capable of generating PowerPoint decks and Word documents using internet-sourced data. Additionally, a new Agent Mode for the web versions of Excel and Word is now available for Microsoft 365 Frontier Program subscribers.

The Frontier Program allows Microsoft 365 subscribers to access AI features early, similar to the Windows Insider Program. This week, members can explore 'vibe working,' the next step in human-AI collaboration. According to Microsoft Office VP Sumit Chauhan, the new features provide a chatbot in the web versions of Excel and Word for basic tasks.

These features are currently rolling out to Microsoft 365 subscribers in the Frontier program, accessible via Copilot and Word. However, accessing the new Agent Mode in Excel requires downloading the Excel Labs add-on from Microsoft.

While the impact of these AI assistants remains to be seen, it is clear that humans are not obsolete yet.