We are barely three months away from 2026 and in today’s scenario AI tools are being used more than ever by working professionals. For most people, their day begins with ChatGPT. Be it for planning busy working days, analysing reports, carrying out some mundane tasks, and whatnot. Day by day, new AI features are being unveiled by companies and Microsoft has been leading the race for a while. The Satya Nadella-led company has recently unveiled a new AI-powered mode that will make it easier to work with Google Docs and Excel. Read on to know more.
SurveyExcel and Word get smarter with Agent Mode
Microsoft is deepening its push into AI-driven productivity with the rollout of Agent Mode for Microsoft 365 Copilot, a new feature designed to make Office apps more autonomous and collaborative. Announced this week, the feature brings what the company calls “agentic productivity” to Word and Excel, with PowerPoint integration set to follow soon. Alongside this, Microsoft has also introduced an Office Agent that can generate full presentations and reports directly within Copilot chat.
Excel has long been considered one of Microsoft’s most powerful but also most complex products. For years, only advanced users were able to fully exploit its modelling potential. With Agent Mode, Microsoft says the application can now “speak Excel” natively. That means users can issue a simple prompt such as “Run a full analysis on this sales data set” and Copilot will not only select the right formulas but also create visualisations, validate the results, and refine them until the outcome is accurate.
Benchmarks published by Microsoft show that Excel’s Agent Mode achieved 57.2 percent accuracy across a wide range of spreadsheet tasks, a notable leap compared with previous AI-assisted efforts. To demonstrate its practical utility, the company highlighted prompts like generating a household budget tracker, creating a loan calculator with repayment schedules, or producing monthly close reports for a small business.
Word is also getting the same treatment. Agent Mode in Word is designed to make document creation conversational, allowing users to direct Copilot to draft, restructure, or format content with simple instructions. Whether it’s updating a project report with the latest figures, summarising customer feedback, or reformatting an entire document to match brand guidelines, the tool is meant to turn writing into a back-and-forth process between human intent and AI execution.
Office Agent shifts work into chat
While Agent Mode focuses on enhancing apps, Microsoft is also trying to reimagine how work begins in the first place. Increasingly, projects start in chat conversations, and that is where the new Office Agent comes in. Integrated into Copilot chat, Office Agent can produce polished PowerPoint decks or Word documents from just a few lines of instruction.
For example, a business user might request an eight-slide deck outlining trends in the athleisure market. Office Agent will clarify details such as target audience, tone, and length before conducting web-based research to gather data. It then generates slides or documents, complete with structured formatting, visuals, and supporting narrative. Users can review previews, iterate on design, and then export seamlessly into Office apps for finishing touches.
Unlike earlier attempts at AI slide generation, which often produced generic or visually unappealing results, Microsoft claims Office Agent has been trained to deliver “tasteful, well-structured” content that can be fine-tuned in collaboration with the user.
Availability and rollout
Agent Mode for Excel is available immediately for Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed users as well as Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Premium subscribers through the Excel Labs add-in. Word integration is rolling out in stages, starting with the web version, while desktop support is expected to follow. Office Agent is launching first in the United States for Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Premium subscribers, with expansion to other regions to come later.
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Divyanshi Sharma
Divyanshi Sharma is a media and communications professional with over 8 years of experience in the industry. With a strong background in tech journalism, she has covered everything from the latest gadgets to gaming trends and brings a sharp editorial lens to every story. She holds a master’s diploma in mass communication and a bachelor’s degree in English literature. Her love for writing and gaming began early—often skipping classes to try out the latest titles—which naturally evolved into a career at the intersection of technology and storytelling. When she’s not working, you’ll likely find her exploring virtual worlds on her console or PC, or testing out a new laptop she managed to get her hands on. View Full Profile
