How and when to use AI in Excel

AI can handle various tasks in Excel, from creating tables to analyzing data. By using AI-powered tools or functions, errors are minimized, and tedious tasks are automated.

What Excel AI options are there?

In addition to the artificial intelligence (AI) features that Excel offers, there are also third-party AI tools that make working with Excel easier and more efficient. Some are used to generate Excel formulas and create complex tables, while others automate the analysis of existing data. The main goal of all these options is to streamline table management and reduce errors.

Which AI tools are available for Excel?

There are many Excel AI tools available, but not all are fully developed or consistently reliable for daily spreadsheet tasks. However, the following Excel AI tools are highly recommended and cover a wide range of different uses.

Excel AI data analysis

Microsoft Excel uses AI for various purposes. One useful feature in the spreadsheet program is “Data Analysis” (formerly “Ideas”). Simply select the areas in your table, and Excel’s AI feature for data analysis will analyze them. This helps you quickly identify patterns and anomalies, which can then be visualized through diagrams, charts and more. This improves the clarity and communication of your data.

The foundation for this Excel AI feature is Microsoft 365 Copilot. This AI-powered assistant understands natural language and is built on advanced language models like GPT-4 from OpenAI. As a result, it can process large datasets, recognize patterns and present them in a clear, understandable format.

Formula Bot

Formula Bot is an AI tool designed for creating formulas in Excel, Google Sheets and other applications. It’s super easy to use: simply enter your queries, and the tool converts them into the complex formulas that can be used by spreadsheet programs. Since formulas can vary between programs, this feature reduces learning time and minimizes errors. Even if you don’t understand the formulas, Formula Bot can explain them to you. Another useful feature is the ability to generate step-by-step instructions to guide you through tasks.

You can make up to 10 bot requests per month for free. If you need to use this Excel AI tool more often, you’ll need to get a monthly subscription, which starts at $15. Alternatively, for a one-time payment, you can access a ready-to-use extension that lets you integrate the bot directly into Excel.

Rows AI

Tools such as Rows AI offer even more powerful data analysis options. It analyzes and summarizes data from various perspectives in a simple Q&A format, making it intuitive to use. The tool can also transform data and entries. A key feature of Rows AI is data cleansing – it automatically corrects and standardizes unstructured or incorrect data, greatly improving the quality of your analyses.

GPT Excel

GPT Excel uses AI to generate formulas, making it easy for even beginners to create complex tables. Simply ask questions in plain English, and it converts them into the necessary code. GPT Excel can handle a wide range of queries and is continuously improving. This AI tool, which is also compatible with Google Sheets, is regularly updated to support even more queries.

The advantages of creating tables with AI include:

• Efficiency: Even complex tables can be created in a few minutes.
• Flexibility: AI tools can be adapted to your specific requirements.
• Ease of use: No deep technical knowledge is required. As long as the AI tool knows the right formula or function, it can provide the correct result.

How to create an Excel spreadsheet with AI

It’s already possible to create an Excel spreadsheet with AI. Tools like the popular ChatGPT can analyze complex texts or datasets and convert them into simple or advanced tables. The process is quick and easy, with similar steps across most programs. In the following example, we’ll use ChatGPT.

1. Navigate to the ChatGPT website.
2. Log in with your ChatGPT account. If you don’t have an account, create one first.
3. Provide it with instructions by writing something like “Create a table with…” and then specify the number of columns, rows and the corresponding categories.
4. Alternatively, you can instruct ChatGPT to convert a specific text or data set into a table. The more precise your instructions are, the more accurate the result will be.
5. Once the table has been created, copy it and export it to the Excel document of your choice. You can make adjustments in Excel to enhance the appearance of your table.