Microsoft has announced a new feature for its Office applications, aimed at simplifying the user experience in creating complex documents and spreadsheets. The company is launching an Agent Mode within Excel and Word, which allows users to generate sophisticated outputs using just a prompt.
Sumit Chauhan, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Office Product Group, stated, “Today we’re bringing vibe working to Microsoft 365 Copilot with Agent Mode in Office apps and Office Agent in Copilot chat.” He likened the introduction of this feature to the impact vibe coding has had on software development, indicating that it will facilitate productivity in producing Office artifacts.
The Agent Mode is an enhanced version of the existing Copilot integration within Office applications. It aims to make Excel’s more intricate functionalities accessible to users without advanced expertise. “It’s work, quite frankly, that a first-year consultant would do, delivered in minutes,” Chauhan added, emphasizing the capability of Agent Mode to create board-ready presentations and documents rather than merely offering short assisting answers.
This capability works through a structured breakdown of tasks. Utilizing OpenAI’s GPT-5 model, Agent Mode dissects the document creation process into manageable tasks while executing them in real-time, with an ongoing display of its actions in a sidebar.
Microsoft has been cautious in integrating AI features within Excel, given the critical nature of the data managed by businesses worldwide. Chauhan noted, “[Agent Mode] lets you build sheets that are auditable, refreshable, and verifiable.” The company has invested significant effort in ensuring the validation processes for the sub-agents are robust.
According to Microsoft, Agent Mode in Excel has achieved an accuracy rate of 57.2 percent according to SpreadsheetBench, a standard measuring an AI’s capabilities in editing authentic spreadsheets. Though this score surpasses competitors like Shortcut.ai and ChatGPT, it still lags behind human accuracy, which stands at 71.3 percent.
In Word, Agent Mode enhances the system beyond basic writing, rewriting, and summarization features. Chauhan explained that it transforms document creation into an interactive experience, allowing Copilot to draft text, recommend improvements, and clarify necessary components during the writing process.
The tool can generate tasks like summarizing previous monthly reports, leveraging data to illustrate key differences effectively. “Writing feels more like a dialogue than a task,” Chauhan remarked regarding the fluidity of the interaction with Copilot.
Additionally, the new Office Agent, powered by Anthropic models, will be accessible through Copilot chat, functioning independently of the Office applications. This feature allows users to create complete PowerPoint presentations or Word documents based solely on chat prompts. Chauhan noted that despite AI’s previous shortcomings in generating presentation slides, Office Agent aims to address these issues.
The Office Agent is designed to produce well-structured PowerPoint decks while conducting web-based research and offering a live preview of the slides. Microsoft seeks to enhance the distinctive capabilities of its Office suite amid the growing competition from various AI document generation tools.
The introduction of the Office Agent also signifies a deeper integration of Anthropic AI models into Microsoft 365 apps and services. While Microsoft continues to partner with OpenAI, it is exploring various model types to optimize its product offerings. “We are looking at the entire family of models, wherever cutting edge work happens,” Chauhan said.
The rollout of Agent Mode for Excel and Word is now available in the Frontier program for Microsoft 365 Copilot customers and subscribers to Microsoft 365 Personal or Family plans. Initially, this feature is offered only through the web versions, with desktop support expected to follow. The Office Agent is also launching today within the same programs for users in the U.S.
