AI hits spreadsheets hard
Microsoft, Google and Anthropic are embedding AI directly into enterprise spreadsheets to make forecasting, scenario analysis and process automation accessible to non‑technical teams. That shift puts advanced analytics into the hands of sales and ops users and raises fast questions about change management and data governance. (pymnts.com)
Microsoft added "Agent Mode," view‑only and locally stored modern workbook features to Microsoft 365 Copilot in a January 2026 admin update aimed at giving tenants centralized Copilot controls and recommended actions. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) The COPILOT Excel function is quota‑limited to 100 COPILOT function calculations every 10 minutes (300 per hour) and Microsoft explicitly warns it should not be used for deterministic numerical calculations like SUM or AVERAGE. (support.microsoft.com) Microsoft states prompts, responses and data accessed via Microsoft Graph are not used to train foundation large language models and administrators can monitor and manage Copilot data with Microsoft Purview. (learn.microsoft.com) Google reported Gemini in Sheets achieved a 70.48% success rate on the public SpreadsheetBench benchmark and rolled new Gemini beta features across Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive on March 10, 2026 for Google Workspace Alpha and Google AI Pro/Ultra subscribers. (workspace.google.com) Google’s Sheets AI() function requires an eligible Google Workspace or Google AI plan and can summarize, categorize, generate text and access real‑time information from Google Search within spreadsheets. (support.google.com) Anthropic first released a Claude Excel add‑in as a research preview in late October 2025 and has since opened "Claude for Excel" beta to paid plans while adding shared context and reusable "Skills" across Excel and PowerPoint in March 2026. (venturebeat.com) (claude.com) VentureBeat and industry reports note Anthropic’s Excel features include cell‑level explanations, model‑action transparency, and live market data connectors aimed at financial workflows — a segment projected to increase AI spending to roughly $97 billion by 2027. (venturebeat.com)
