Microsoft launches Agent Mode, transforming how we use Excel and Word
Unlike app-specific Copilots, Office Agent can navigate between apps, integrating notes from Word, slides from PowerPoint, and data from Excel within a single conversation.
Imagine opening Microsoft Excel and typing a simple prompt: “Create a quarterly sales report with charts and projections”.
The spreadsheet then builds itself before your eyes. Formulas are inserted, rows filled, charts generated, no complex actions required, no clicking, no formatting, no formulas to remember.
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This is the reality Microsoft is introducing with its new Agent Mode, an AI-powered feature for Excel and Word that transforms Microsoft Office into a living, thinking assistant. It understands tasks, reasons through them, and generates usable documents or data sheets from scratch.
Launched on Wednesday at Microsoft’s annual productivity event, Zoomtopia, Agent Mode marks a significant leap in integrating large language models with everyday office tools, a sign that the nature of work is once again evolving.
“This isn’t just about writing faster or calculating quicker,” said Aliya Yusuf, a data analyst based in Nairobi. “It’s about removing the barrier between idea and execution.”
Agent Mode is part of Microsoft’s wider Copilot platform, which introduced AI helpers across its apps last year. But this new feature goes further, no longer simply suggesting edits or formulas, it executes full multi-step workflows based on natural language commands.
In Excel, users can request dashboards, summaries, or budgeting tools. Agent Mode does not insert a generic template; it creates a tailored one around your data, generating formulas, adding columns, auto-creating graphs, and summarising insights.
In Word, you might say, “Draft a two-page memo summarising key trends from this report,” and immediately receive a clean, well-structured document with headings, bullet points, and citations, all editable and customisable.
Microsoft describes the technology as more like a colleague than a tool.
“Agent Mode stands out because it can respond, ask follow-up questions, and correct itself as it works,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “If your prompt is vague or conflicting, it will seek clarification. If you change your mind, it adapts. It’s not just autocomplete, it’s adaptive assistance.”
It’s like giving instructions without explaining every formula; just describe your goal, and it figures out the rest.
Microsoft acknowledges Agent Mode isn’t perfect; it scored 57.2 per cent accuracy on complex spreadsheet tasks, outperforming previous Copilot versions but still behind human professionals.
This means reviewing and editing remain crucial, especially in financial, academic, or legal contexts.
Currently, Agent Mode is available only in the web versions of Excel and Word, with plans to roll out to desktop later this year. It’s being piloted among Copilot Early Access users and selected Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans.
Alongside Agent Mode, Microsoft introduced Office Agent, a broader AI assistant housed within Copilot Chat. Unlike app-specific Copilots, Office Agent can navigate between apps, integrating notes from Word, slides from PowerPoint, and data from Excel within a single conversation.
For example, a user could type, “Summarise my last three meetings and turn them into a presentation”, and receive a coherent slide deck with visuals and notes.
Microsoft calls the shift “vibe working,” capturing a deeper trend: work is becoming more intuitive, natural, and assistive.
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