In a scene reminiscent of every student’s recurring nightmare, Microsoft’s new AI assistant Copilot found itself stumped by a spreadsheet. Yes, the superpowered generative AI that can pen emails, summarize meetings and generate images in the blink of an algorithm has publicly fumbled trying to make sense of everyone’s favorite 32-year-old software: Microsoft Excel.
Microsoft, determined to embed AI into the sinews of Office tools, has promised that Copilot will help users navigate complex tasks with the grace and efficiency of a caffeinated data scientist. But when CNBC reporter Hayden Field asked Copilot to find which sales representative sold the most tables in a fictional spreadsheet, the digital oracle confidently produced the name of a rep who, unfortunately, had not sold a single piece of furniture. A classic Excel whoopsie.
This particular session took place at Microsoft’s AI lab in Redmond, Washington, where journalists were invited to probe the brave new world of workplace AI. When Copilot was confronted with additional spreadsheet tasks, it responded by suggesting the data might be better presented in a pivot table, which is Office speak for “please talk to the manager.”
To be fair, Microsoft has always maintained that Copilot is very much still in training, a prodigy perhaps, but one that occasionally forgets how to tie its digital shoelaces. The company prefers to refer to its occasional factual missteps not as “errors” but as “hallucinations” which is less frightening if you are not relying on the results to make business decisions.
Despite the hiccups, Microsoft is forging ahead, now rolling out Copilot across Office 365 apps for enterprise users and personal subscribers alike. And while the assistant might not replace the company Excel wizard just yet, it remains a promising glimpse into a future where your spreadsheet at least tries to understand you emotionally, if not mathematically.
For now, it seems even top shelf AI would rather analyze feelings than Excel formulas.
